What He Left Behind
by theheartthehead
Summary: In a gut wrenching turn of events, Bellamy was forced to close the door on Clarke in order to save himself and his friends. Little does he know, he left more than just Clarke behind in the wake of Praimfaya. Six years later, how will he react?
1. Chapter 1

_**Welcome to my very first FanFiction! I'll tell y'all now, I'm a hardcore Bellarke shipper. This is going to start at the end of season 4/beginning of season 5. I'm posting chapter one and chapter two together so you can get an idea of how this story will read, how it's laid out, etc. Please leave me reviews! I hope you enjoy.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the CW. Including my soul.**_

 **CLARKE POV**

 **12 May 2150 (Present Day)**

"It's been 42 days since Praimfaya. I'm alive, I'm alone. I hope you can hear me somehow. I hope you're okay. I hope you made it to the Ring. I miss you, Bellamy. God, I didn't realize how hard this was going to be. I mean, I knew being alone was going to be hard, but not knowing whether or not you're alive is what's worse. I won't lose hope though, I can't. The thought of seeing you again is the only thing that's kept me going this long." The radio crackles a bit as I continue, "Don't get me wrong, I wanted you to leave without me. I wanted you to live. I wish I knew that you could hear me. I wish I could hear your voice, or feel your arms wrapped around me. I wish I had told you that I loved you when I had the chance, because I do. I… I love you, Bellamy. Please come back to me. I've lost everyone else, I can't lose you too."

 **TWO MONTHS EARLIER**

"If anything happens to me…"

"Nothing is going to happen to you."

"Please, Bellamy, I need you to hear this."

"No, Clarke. You're going to be fine. We're going to be fine. We're going to beat Praimfaya. We're going to get this rocket up and running and we're going to make it back to the Ark. We're going to live. Your mom is safe, Octavia is safe. Everyone we care about is in that bunker, but if we want to see them again, we have to get this rocket ready."

"Bellamy—" I start, only to be interrupted again, as Bellamy steps closer to me, placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Clarke, listen. I'm not letting you say goodbye to me because we're doing this together. We're going to make it. I will not let anything bad happen to you. I need you Clarke."

Suddenly, his lips are on mine. I hesitate for a moment, but within seconds I'm swept up in his kiss. In that moment, his arms wrapped around me, his lips on mine, it's as if the world isn't coming to an end. In that moment, he is all that exists to me, he is all that matters. My hands tug on his clothes, but I'm met with resistance from him.

"Clarke, we can't."

"Whatever the hell we want, remember? Don't you want to?"

There's a second of pause in which I think he's going to back away but before I know it, he's kissing me again, each kiss deeper and more intense than the last. Our clothes are being thrown across the room and all at once, it's as if everything else melts away.

Time loses meaning as we get lost in each other. We lay side by side, catching our breath, holding each other. We could've stayed there forever, had it not been for Murphy stumbling up the stairs and into the room.

"Clarke, Bellamy, it's—oh my God," he stops abruptly, covering his eyes like a child after realizing what he's just walked in on.

"Jesus, Murphy, ever heard of knocking?" Bellamy says gruffly, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Sorry, I just, uh, Raven needs you. Both of you. Preferably clothed."

"Just give us a minute, Murphy, please."

Once he leaves the room, Bellamy and I get dressed and head downstairs, where Raven gets us up to speed about what we need to do to get the rocket ready to launch.

Ninety minutes. That's all we had left before Praimfaya destroyed this planet and left it uninhabitable for the next five years. Bellamy and I got separated to do our tasks, but we were confident that we'd be together again, on that rocket. That's not how things worked out though, obviously. If I couldn't realign the satellite, all of my friends would die. Bellamy would die.

 **PRESENT DAY**

Nightblood has allowed me to adapt to the radiation, although the radiation itself has proven to be the least of my worries. I've yet to go outside, but I'm almost out of rations. I have no choice but to leave Becca's lab and try to find sustenance.

I gather my supplies, what's left of my rations, and my radio, and I open the door. For the first time in 42 days, I step outside of the lab that's become my shelter. The surroundings are almost unrecognizable. The landscape is desolate. If I didn't know better, I wouldn't have recognized this area of land as what used to be an island. The water is gone and there are no signs of life anywhere. The only place I know there is life is in Polis, so that's where I'm heading. I just hope I make it there in one piece.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The CW owns everything. Enjoy!**

 **BELLAMY POV**

 **28 May 2150**

"Hey, princess," I start, placing my hand on the window. "I hope you're down there, I hope you're listening. I just… I wanted to tell you that I didn't mean it when I said I could use a break from keeping you alive. It wasn't true. I tried to keep you alive until the absolute last second. Closing the door to that rocket, closing the door on you, on us, is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I'm trying not to give up hope. The thought of seeing you again is the only thing keeping me sane up here. I know that leaving you behind is what you would've wanted me to do, I know that, but not knowing if you're alive is killing me. I hate myself for leaving you behind, but I know if I didn't, we all would've died, and your death would be in vain. You sacrificed your life, but I sacrificed my heart, because the truth is, Clarke... I love you," My voice catches in my throat as tears well in my eyes, "I think I always have. I wish I would've told you sooner, I don't know why it took losing you for me to admit that. I'm sorry I never got to tell you. But hey, in five years, I'll be able to tell you in person. In five years, I'll come back for you. I promise. I miss you. I'm sorry."

I feel a hand on my shoulder and for one, disillusioned moment, I think it's Clarke. The illusion is shattered when I open my eyes, turning to see who was really standing beside me.

"Bellamy," Raven starts, "It's been two months."

"58 days." I mutter under my breath.

"What?"

"Fifty. Eight. Days, Raven," I say, raising my voice, "It's been 58 days without her here, safe, by my side. How are the eight of us supposed to make it up here for the next five years? Monty's algae nearly killed us, Murphy hasn't been the same since he woke up from the coma it put him in, he's been fighting with Emori and lashing out at all of us, Echo barely looks at or speaks to any of us, and Harper is doing her best to hold us all together."

"Seven," I hear her mumble.

"What?"

"There are seven of us, Bellamy."

Seven. The number cuts me like a knife, opening the wound that Clarke's loss left on my heart.

"Bellamy, look, I know you're hurting here but this isn't what Clarke would want—"

"How do you know what Clarke would want? You're the reason she's still down there! You're the one who made me close the doors on her! What if she was running up to the doors as they were closing, but it was too late for me to see her? What if I'm the reason that she's dead?" I feel my body shake as I let out a sob and sink to my knees. "I didn't mean that Raven, I—"

"I know you didn't. It's okay." I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to dispel the tears that have gathered in my eyes as Raven kneels down beside me. "We're all struggling, Bellamy, you more than anyone. I mean, you left your sister on the ground."

"Yes, but O is safe. I know she is. I know that she is in that bunker, with Abby, Kane, and the rest of our people. But Clarke… I never expected to lose her, especially not like this. I couldn't even fathom the thought of losing her until it happened because when we were on earth, it felt like she was a part of me. Clarke reminded me what home was. Who home was. I need her, Raven."

We sit in silence for a few moments until Raven speaks up again.

"I know you might not want to hear this, Bellamy, but you need to. Clarke isn't here. No amount of pining will bring her back, but if you don't stop feeling sorry for yourself, her death will have been for nothing."

"No. She's not dead. I can't let myself believe that."

"There's no way she survived that, Bellamy. Just look, there's nothing on that planet with a pulse anymore."

"Raven, I'm only going to say this one more time: Clarke is not dead. The second I start believing that is the second I fall apart completely, and there is no coming back from that." I pause as I try to regain my composure. "The memory of her is all I have anymore."

 **Please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I noticed some errors in the first chapter so I went back and fixed those. I'm sorry about that, it was late when I posted it, but thanks for sticking around through the annoying mistakes! The first few chapters are probably going to be a bit slow. I promise they'll pick up, I just have to lay the groundwork for the rest of the story. I _will_ be using Trigedasleng in this story and, unless I figure out a better way to do it, I'm just going to put the translations in an author's note at the bottom. If you have any suggestions for a better way to do that, please let me know! **

**Disclaimer: The CW owns everything.**

 **CLARKE POV**

 **28 May 2150**

"It's been 58 days. Needless to say, my life got easier the day I found the Rover. I found a village in a valley, surrounded by grass and air and a clean stream. It's like Praimfaya completely skipped over this little area. I've been calling it Eden. It's safe here, no grounders or reapers are trying to kill me. I have drinkable water and food. I don't know how the hell I'm going to make it five years without human interaction, but if it means I'll see you again, I have to try. Just wait till you see this place—"

I stop, sure I heard something in the woods. Which is crazy, I know it's crazy, but when has anything ever made sense down here?

I get up from the porch and stand completely still. All I hear is silence. But as I turn to go inside, I hear it again: the faintest rustling of leaves, the snap of a twig. I turn around just in time to see what I think is a child. The poor kid's hair is matted and unkempt, its clothes are torn, and its face covered in grime and blood. But how could a child have survived Praimfaya? I walk forward, trying to assure the child that it's okay but it only startles the child further.

" _Hod up! Beja!_ " I yell, as I pick up the pace until I find myself a few yards away from the child. " _Yu laik natblida, sha?_ "

I receive a blank stare from the child, but considering it isn't running from me, I take it as a good sign. I step forward, ready to continue reasoning with the child, but before I get the chance to speak, I feel something tighten around my ankle. I scream in pain as I look down to see a bear trap clamped onto my leg.

"Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me. The only other person on this planet and it just so happens to be the child from hell?"

Slowly and painfully, I make my way back to my home in the valley where I do my best to assess the damage that has been done on my leg. I painstakingly stitch up my wounds, until the pain becomes too much, and I lose consciousness.

* * *

I jolt awake, the pain in my leg rushing back to me. I feel around for my medical supplies only to find them gone. Everything is gone. I pull myself off the counter I'd used as my makeshift medical table and hobble slowly down to the stream. It's there that I find the little hell-child spearing fish, but as soon as the child realizes I'm here, it runs away again.

I lower myself onto a rock and sketch a photo of the child. When I'm satisfied with it, I walk to the halfway point between where I sat and the tree the child was hiding behind. I lay the sketch on the ground, and I back away a few steps. The child creeps toward the sketch, cautiously, to be sure that I won't make any sudden movements.

" _En's ku,_ " I say gently, " _Ai nou na bash yo up. Ai laik Clarke kom Skaikru. Chon yu bilaik?_ "

" _Ai laik Madi kom Louwoda Klironkru._ "

Madi. The child's a girl.

"Do you speak English, Madi?"

She nods, timidly.

"Good. How old are you?" This time, my response comes in the form of one grubby hand with all five fingers extended. My heart breaks for her, having lost her family and everything she's ever known at only five years old. She's so young to have survived the past 58 days on her own. "Are you hungry?" Another nod. I offer her my hand, which she takes as I lead her back to my cabin in the village.

After we eat, we go back to the stream, where I help her get cleaned up. I wash her body and hair, which I am also able to brush through. I bring a large shirt I washed a few days ago to put her into while we wait for her clothes to dry. As we go back to the cabin, I feel her pace slow and realize that she must be exhausted. She's been keeping herself alive for the last two months, I'm sure that would be exhausting to any five-year-old, even if it is the five-year-old from hell. I lean down to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way back to my cabin. Our cabin.

" _Reshop, ai yongon. Bilaik jos yumi nau._ "

I wrap her up in a blanket I found and lay her on the bed. She's quick to fall asleep, and I can't blame her. For what feels like forever I just sit and watch her sleeping, so peacefully. I'm amazed that she's been self-sufficient for this long, but I'm thankful that I found her. Now I can take care of her, she's not alone anymore. I'm not alone anymore. And with that thought in my head, I fall asleep at her bedside, holding one of her little hands safely within my own.

 **Read and review! xoxo Kitty**

 **Trigedasleng Translations (Line by line.)**

 _ **Wait up! Please! You're a Nightblood, yeah?**_

 _ **It's okay. I mean you no harm. I am Clarke of the Sky People. Who are you?**_

 _ **I am Madi of the Shallow Valley Clan.**_

 _ **Goodnight, my child. It's just us now.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi again! This is the chapter when things will start to pick up a bit. We'll probably revisit Bellamy and the rest of Spacekru in the next chapter, but for now we're back on the ground with our two favorite Nightbloods.**

 **Disclaimer: The CW owns everything.**

 **Clarke POV**

 **4 June 2150**

"Day 66. This past week with Madi has been good. I really think she's getting to trust me, which is good. Let's hope this means she won't be leading me in to any more bear traps. Madi and I found a whole field of berries today, Bellamy. It's amazing. Seeing all of this life surrounding us, especially after the first month and a half of hell after Praimfaya, is comforting. When we landed on earth, I didn't know if I'd ever be able to smile again. With all the craziness going on, I didn't have time to enjoy myself or this beautiful place we landed in, but Madi and I are making a home here. When you come back down to Earth, it'll be your home too," I sigh contentedly at the thought.

"I've been pretty sick this week. I can't figure out why, I just hope it's nothing serious. I've been dealing with almost constant nausea and awful fatigue. I don't think it's anything I've eaten because Madi isn't sick, thank god. I can tell it worries her when I throw up, so I try to shield her from it as much as possible. I'm sure her people dealt with nausea as a symptom of the radiation, which is probably why it scares her so much that I'm sick. She's playing in the stream now, but it's about time to have supper so I'll have to say goodbye now. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

I put the radio down as I call to Madi, telling her it's time for supper. We eat some fish that she and I caught earlier today. She's been teaching me a lot about catching fish, actually. She's kind of incredible at it, which is impressive considering she's only five.

As we eat, I can't get my mind off of how sick I am. I'm trying to eat what I can, knowing how important it is to keep my strength up now that I have a child depending on me, but I can already tell that this meal isn't going to sit well with me. I have to figure out what's causing these symptoms. Most of the medical equipment is either in the bunker with my mom, in Becca's lab, or in the wreckage of Arkadia. Maybe Madi and I can make a trip back to the lab at some point to get supplies.

"Hey Madi?" I start, as she glances up to meet my gaze.

As I look into her eyes, I can't imagine how I made it so long without her. Just in the past week, I've began to look at her like she's my own child. She's my reason to live and I'd do anything for her, to keep her safe. I have to take care of my own health in order to do that, which means getting to the bottom of whatever this illness is.

"What do you say we take a little trip tomorrow?" At that, she nods her head enthusiastically. That settles it. Tomorrow, we'll go to Becca's lab and see what I can find to help me figure out why I'm sick.

We leave early in the morning so as to make the most of our day. I let Madi sit in the front seat, even though she's so small, because she's never ridden in a car before and I want her to experience it. Even if I can't find out what's wrong with me at Becca's lab today, watching my sweet girl's face light up as she rides in the car for the very first time will have made it worth the effort. She's never seen so much of the world outside her clan before and, even though the world outside the valley is desolate in the wake of Praimfaya, she is so enthralled at every new thing we see.

As we pull up to the lab, I remember that the entrance collapsed during Praimfaya. However, having already dug myself out of it I'm positive I can get back in. First and foremost, I have to ensure that it is safe enough for Madi to be able to get in and out of the lab.

After spending a little while shuffling around debris, we get into the lab. Madi is in awe of the size of the building, as well as the technology. I give her a snack and let her sit in one of the chairs downstairs as I start searching for something, anything, that will be useful to me.

Being here, in this lab, brings back memories. Most of those memories aren't happy ones, but there's one good memory in particular that I hold close to my heart. As I make my way up the stairs, I can feel myself getting choked up. It isn't until I find myself sitting on the floor, reminiscing in the memory of Bellamy and I making love, that it dawns on me: Bellamy and I didn't use any kind of protection, and I haven't had my period in… I can't even remember.

And all at once, I can't breathe. I shakily sink to the floor and pull my knees up to my chest, crying as quietly as I can to avoid alerting Madi. This can't be happening. I can't be pregnant. I already have one little girl to take care of, I can't take care of another child by myself. My contraceptive implant must have failed. None of my people have given birth on the ground. I'm alone, with no one to help me, and very few medical supplies to help me. Even if I wanted to terminate the pregnancy, I couldn't do it safely with the supplies I have. I don't want to terminate, though. This is my baby, Bellamy's baby. I am carrying my very own piece of the man I love most in the world within me. I try to calm my breathing as I pull out my radio.

"Bellamy? Bellamy, please, _please_ tell me you can hear me," I let out a sob, before taking in another shaky breath. "You're going to be a father, Bell. If I've done the math right, the baby is due at the end of December. God, I wish you were here right now. I hope you'll be happy about this baby, I know how important family is to you. Just think—this baby will be the first Skaikru baby born on Earth in a century.

"I don't know how to do this on my own. I need you. You're the guy who wouldn't let me carry the burden of pulling the lever in Mount Weather on my own, and I know that you wouldn't let me carry this burden on my own. I don't mean to say that our baby is a burden, but I know you understand what I mean. I mean, having a baby on this planet, alone, with no one to help but a five-year-old? What am I going to do?"

I let the radio fall to the floor as I cry. I only give myself a few minutes to fall apart before I have to put on my brave face and go take my little girl home. I can't believe that I'll have another kid to think about in a matter of months. My mind is reeling from this revelation for the entire car ride home and long after Madi falls asleep.

 **Thoughts? Please review and leave me your thoughts about the sex of baby! Do we want a boy or a girl for Bellarke?**

 **xoxo Kitty**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi again! I wrote two chapters tonight and I couldn't wait to share them with you. You guys are getting one tonight, you'll probably get the next within the next couple of days, but I know it would definitely motivate me to post sooner if I could get some reviews. And believe me, the next chapter is a good one. Enjoy! And as always, review review review!**

 **Disclaimer: The CW owns everything.**

 **BELLAMY POV**

 **31 July 2150**

"Hey, princess. Me again. You know, a part of me was hoping that this would be easier by now. I mean, it's been four months. Only four years and eight months to go, but who's counting? Anyway, there's not much to report here. Emori and Murphy split. Monty's algae hasn't put anyone else in a coma, at least not yet. Raven hasn't figured out how to get us home yet, but she will. I'll come home to you, Clarke, I promise."

I finish my call to Clarke and lay down on my makeshift bed in the corner of the communications room. I can't bear to sleep anywhere else. What if Clarke calls and I'm not here to hear her call? I left her behind and if she makes contact with us, I have to be here. I have to tell her she's not alone.

I wake from a restless sleep a few hours later. There's a brief moment, right as I'm regaining consciousness, when I forget about everything. I forget Clarke is gone, and I forget I won't see her for another four and a half years. For that moment, my heart doesn't feel so heavy in my chest. I don't feel broken. Maybe if I keep my eyes shut, I can pretend that Clarke is here and that everything is okay.

I stay in my bed until I hear Monty calling my name, telling me that it's time for breakfast. But as I pull my shirt over my head and prepare to leave the room, I hear the faintest crackling over the radio. And then, a voice calling my name.

"Clarke? Clarke, can you hear me? Hello?" The radio cuts out again, but not before I hear her call my name one more time. "Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

And just like that, I fall apart all over again. I kick open the door and rush into the hallway. I'm screaming, punching the wall, anything to make my heart hurt less. I feel a set of hands grab my arms and hold them behind my back.

"Hey, hey, hey, maybe we shouldn't try to smash holes in the only thing keeping us alive for the next five years, yeah?" It's Monty. Always the sensible one. Now isn't the time for sensibility, though, I'm far too hurt for that now.

"I heard her, Monty. I heard Clarke." He looks at me with uncertain eyes.

"Bellamy, you know our radio is broken. Our whole communications system is down. I don't know what you heard, but it wasn't Clarke."

At this point, everyone else has started to make their way toward the comms room. I feel anger rising in my chest over Monty's words and everyone else's stares.

"You're wrong. I'd recognize her voice anywhere, it was Clarke. She needs me, I have to tell her she's not alone!" I rush through the door and toward the radio again, only to feel hands on my arms and shoulders pulling me away. I struggle, but I can't free myself from the hold that Monty and Murphy have on me. "None of you have any right to come in here and tell me what I did or didn't hear. You have no idea what I'm going through!" Monty and Murphy manage to get me into my bed, each sitting next to me holding me in place.

Raven looks at Harper and they share a knowing look as Raven signals for everyone else to leave. I'm vaguely aware of movement behind me, but it's not until I hear Raven's voice that I realize she is now where Monty and Murphy were moments ago, sitting beside me on my bed. Harper kneels on the floor in front of me, places one hand on my knee, and holds my hands with the other. She begins to hum, softly, and rubs her thumb along the outside of my hands. I'm sobbing inconsolably, I should be ashamed of how weak I'm being, but all I can think about is Clarke's voice calling my name.

"Close your eyes for a minute and relax. Focus on my voice," Raven says calmly as she guides my head towards her chest, where I can hear her heart beating steadily. " _Ai giv ai op gon nemiyon kom lanik-de_. Come on, Bellamy, say it with me. _Ai giv ai op…_ "

" _Ai giv ai op_ ," I stutter, trying to calm my breathing enough to speak.

" _Gon nemiyon…_ "

" _Gon nemiyon…_ "

" _Kom lanik-de._ "

" _Kom lanik-de._ " I don't know what any of it means, but I feel markedly calmer than I was just minutes before.

Harper's eyes meet mine again as she says, "You and Clarke together are unstoppable. You can change the tides, create worlds. Your love is like a force of nature and nothing, nothing is going to keep you two from finding each other again. Okay?"

I feel the sting of a needle in my neck and I start feeling drowsy. The last thing I hear before drifting out of consciousness is Harper's humming in my ear.

 **Read and review! xoxo Kitty**

 **Trigedasleng Translations (Line by line.)**

 _ **I give myself to the miracle of the sea.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi friends! I really like this chapter. There's some quality Clarke/Madi content in here. I'd like to thank JaysSong913 for being my first (and only) review on this story! I really want to hear your thoughts about the story so far, and some opinions about where you'd like to see it go.**

 **CLARKE POV**

 **17 August 2150**

"Hey, Bell. Huh. It's weird hearing that coming from me and not Octavia. I know that's her nickname for you, I hope you don't mind if I borrow it. It makes me feel closer to you, somehow. Anyway, I'm 20 weeks pregnant today, officially halfway through this pregnancy. As I get closer and closer to having this baby, the reality sets in that you won't get to meet your child until it's four years old. I mean, it's not an it, it's a he or a she. Do you want a boy or a girl? I want a little boy, a miniature you. I want him to have your hair and your nose and your eyes. Honestly, the less of me this kid gets the better.

"I felt the baby kick today. Actually, it hasn't stopped kicking since I started talking to you. This baby is definitely a Blake, raising hell before it even leaves the womb. I think this baby is going to be a fighter, just like you and Octavia. It's the most amazing feeling, I wish you could be here to feel it. A part of me is excited to see pieces of you reflected in our baby, but a bigger, more vocal part of me is absolutely terrified. I'm trying to be strong, for Madi and for our baby, but I don't know how I'm going to do this without you. I hope you're staying safe up there, Bellamy. I'll hold down the fort until you get here, but this kid needs a father, and I need you. You, me, Madi, and this baby will be a family. Our family."

I feel myself getting choked up and I pause to collect myself, but I can't help but let the tears flow down my cheeks. How did I end up here? Five months ago, all I was worried about was realigning a stupid satellite dish and saving my friends. Now look at me. I'm eighteen years old and I'm about be a single mom to a five- year-old and a newborn.

As my tears begin to turn into a full-fledged panic attack, I feel a small hand touch my shoulder. I immediately begin wiping my tears away, trying to put on a brave face for Madi. I do my best not to let her see me cry, but she's smart. She knows something isn't right.

"What's wrong?" She asks, her innocent doe eyes looking up at me.

"Nothing, sweetie, everything is fine. I'm fine. Don't worry about me, go back to playing."

"Clarke?" I should've known she wouldn't listen. She's an incredibly perceptive kid, and she's persistent. She knows something is wrong and she won't stop until she gets to the bottom of it. She climbs up into the bed and sits facing me.

"Yes, my little Nightblood?"

"Who is Bellamy?"

Hearing her say his name breaks my heart in an entirely new sort of way. I take her hands in mine as she gets settled, preparing to hear the story of the man whose name she's heard so many times over the past months.

"Once upon a time," I start, using the same words I heard in fairytales when I was a child, "There was a space station called the Ark. One day, the people in charge noticed that there was a problem and the only way to solve it was to send 100 bad children to the ground in a spaceship. King Bellamy and his sister, Princess Octavia, were both on that ship, as well as another princess named Clarke. All of the bad children had to fight a lot of monsters, like the ones who lived in Mount Weather. But the bad children were able to defeat all of the monsters thanks to King Bellamy. He kept all of the bad children, and the princesses, safe from the monsters.

"One day, it was Princess Clarke's turn to save King Bellamy. He went back up to space, and his princess stayed on the ground to protect another little princess named Madi." She giggles as she realizes that she, too, is a part of this fairytale.

"Is Bellamy coming back?" The naivety in her question stings, but I recover quickly as I try to formulate a response that she'll be able to understand.

"If there is one thing I know about Bellamy, it's that he never gives up on the people he loves, his family. And that's what we are, my little one. Just like Princess Octavia, we are a part of his family and he loves us very much."

I add that last part more for my own sake than hers. She doesn't fully grasp the situation, and I'd like to keep it that way. She doesn't need to know that Bellamy doesn't know her, or that he's never even told me he loved me. All she needs to know is that there is hope for a happy ending.

My answer seems to quell her curiosities and she places her hands on my swollen stomach, waiting to feel a kick. When she finally feels one, her eyes light up in a way that only a child's eyes can, and it gives me a feeling of warmth and comfort. She lays her head on my stomach for a few minutes before sitting up and placing one of her hands over my heart.

"Is this where Bellamy is?"

I can't find the words to respond so I just squeeze her hand and smile, managing a nod as an answer to her question. She puts her hand back on my stomach and waits for more kicks to come, fixated on the fact that there's a person inside of me. She's distracted enough not to notice the tears rolling down my face.

It dawns on me then that I don't even know when it happened. I can't pinpoint the moment that Bellamy turned from someone that I hated to someone who I love, from an enemy to an ally. He became someone who I need to survive, without me even noticing it until he was ripped away from me so cruelly.

He's the most important person in my life. I love my mom, my friends, and of course Madi and this baby, but the love I feel for my children can't be compared to my love for Bellamy. My love for him is a different type of love altogether. Bellamy has always been my number one. I was ready to let all of those people die in Tondc because it meant keeping Bellamy safe. I've been ready to sacrifice so many people in my life, but not Bellamy. Never Bellamy.

Not everyone gets to grow old with someone they love. Lexa taught me that. I loved her and I lost her far too soon, but if there's one thing I learned from her it's that love is not weakness. You can't take it for granted because the second you do, it's taken away from you.

I thought I could avoid making the same mistakes with Bellamy. Guess the universe had other plans.

 **I'm writing the next chapter now. Again, I'll post sooner if I could get some reviews!**

 **xoxo Kitty**


	7. Chapter 7

**Welcome back! I'm trying something new this chapter. While most of the story will be told from Clarke and Bellamy's points of view, I felt like I needed to write a little from Raven's point of view as well. This chapter is my longest chapter yet. I, personally, like reading longer chapters, so let me know your opinion on the chapter length! I hope you enjoy.**

 **RAVEN POV**

 **16 October 2150**

"It's been 200 days, princess," I hear Bellamy's voice from down the hall. He's called her like clockwork every day for 200 days. I wonder if he'll keep calling her every day for the next four and a half years. I consider stopping to listen through the door of the comms room, but I decide against it and continue on to the mess hall. There, I'm greeted by my five friends, each of them wondering why I asked them to meet me here without Bellamy.

"We've got a problem, guys," I start.

"Raven, I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but we have a lot of problems. Which one are you referring to this time?" Murphy clearly isn't in the mood to be having this meeting, but I doubt he ever will be.

"We don't have enough fuel to get home."

"Do we have enough fuel to launch me into the sun?" Murphy retorts, as Emori scoffs at him from across the table.

"Are you being facetious?" Monty asks.

"Maybe."

"It's a yes or no question, Murphy."

"Not if you don't know what that word means."

"Focus, guys," I interject before things get even more out of hand. "Bellamy is slipping. He's not eating, he's not sleeping. He's going to kill himself from sheer exhaustion. He's falling apart and unless we can give him some semblance of hope to cling onto for the next five years, we're going to lose him. He's done too much for every single one of us for us to abandon him when he needs us most. We have to do this for our friend, for our leader. We owe him this."

"I just don't understand why we have to worry about this now. Can't it wait? It's not like we don't have four and a half years left to fix it."

"Oh, shut up, John. You just can't stand the thought of getting off your lazy ass and doing anything to help the group, can you?" Emori's voice is venomous. Judging by the look on Murphy's face as he stands up and pushes his chair away from the table, it's clear she's struck a chord. "Yeah, walk away John. Run away and hide somewhere like the damn cockroach you are."

A silence falls over the room, nothing to be heard but the echoes of Murphy's footsteps down the hallway.

"Well," Monty says, "I guess we'd better start problem solving."

* * *

That night, I can't sleep. We spent hours brainstorming and running simulations, but to no avail. Clarke's sacrifice made things easier for us, logistically, in terms of how much sustenance is necessary to support us for the next five years. The truth is, though, that we didn't only lose Clarke all those months ago. We lost Bellamy too. I know he's never handled separation from her well. Not while she was in Mount Weather, not while she was in Polis, and definitely not now that she's stranded on that scorched planet. Or, rather, she was stranded. None of us wants to admit it, and I haven't brought it up to anyone since I tried approaching the subject with Bellamy a few months ago, but we all know that there's no way for Clarke to have survived Praimfaya.

I know that we have years to find a way home but seeing Bellamy falling apart like this is really taking a toll on everyone. I guess we're all so used to him and Clarke holding everyone together that we don't quite know how to do it ourselves. Harper is really trying to rally everyone, but especially with the tension between Murphy and Emori, it's proving to be more difficult that she was expecting.

Bellamy isn't the only one of us who is grieving though, we all are, to some extent. Monty just lost his best friend. The difference is that Monty has Harper to help him through it, and he has the algae farm to focus on. Bellamy isn't opening up to anyone, he doesn't want us to see him fall apart, and he doesn't have anything to busy himself with but radioing Clarke every day and waiting to hear something back.

After we stopped our little brainstorming session, I spent the rest of the day teaching Emori about mechanics. She's been eager to learn, and I'm glad she is. It'll be good to have another person who knows how to handle some mechanical repairs up here. It's been nice to see her becoming more confident around us. She spent so much of her life isolated, but she's really been coming into her own since we've been in the Ring. Between her background in fighting as a grounder and now her training as a mechanic, she's becoming a huge asset to the group, as well as one of my closest friends.

As I walk through the Ring, I can't help but notice that Murphy is awake as well, sulking in a room on his own. I don't know what exactly when down between him and Emori, but from what she has told me, I feel like they grew apart more than anything else. While she's using the aftermath of Praimfaya and our time on the Ring to learn and better herself, he's shutting down. It's classic John Murphy. When he doesn't have something to fight for, he shuts down. I know that Emori breaking up with him hit him pretty hard, and I feel bad for him. Despite everything that has gone down between him and I, I can't help but feel… I don't know what I feel.

My thinking is interrupted as I hear Emori walk up next to me. I feel myself blushing, having been caught staring at John Murphy, of all people. Emori hold one finger to her lips, encouraging me to stay silent, as she takes me by the hand and leads me away from Murphy's room.

"Emori, what's going on?"

"How long?" She asks.

"I'm sorry?"

"How long have you had feelings for him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I insist.

"I know what it looks like to be in love with John Murphy, Raven. Look, I know how hard he tries to hide it behind his stupid sarcastic exterior, but I know that you're one of the people on the very short list of people John Murphy cares about. Things between us just weren't meant to work out, and that's by no fault of mine or his. I loved him once. Maybe he loved me too, but I know now that he loves you. He just won't admit it to himself. You're both my family and I want you to be happy. I want him to be happy. It's been three months and he needs someone. He needs you."

"I don't know what to say. Doesn't this go against some kind of girl code?"

Emori chuckles, saying, "Not if I'm giving you my blessing, which I am. Now, go to him." And with that, she walks away, leaving me with my thoughts.

For a few minutes, I don't move. I can't be in love with Murphy, I hate Murphy. Or at least I used to. But as I stand there, immersed in my thoughts, it dawns on me that Emori was right. As soon as I admit it to myself, I take off, sprinting down the hallway as best as I can. I stop in front of his door, take a breath to steady myself, and knock.

"Go away," his gruff voice calls from inside the room. I knock again, and he opens the door. "Raven?"

His eyes immediately soften when he looks at me. Before I have the chance to talk myself out of it, I take a leap of faith and press my lips to his. For a few seconds, he doesn't respond, and I worry that I might've read things wrong. But as soon as I start to pull back, self-doubt sneaking into the back of my mind, he grabs the back of my neck and brings me even closer to him.

Eventually he pulls away from me and runs his fingers through his hair, trying to make sense of what just happened between us.

"Where did that come from, Reyes?" His voice isn't abrasive when he speaks. In fact, it's the opposite. He isn't trying to deflect attention away from the emotions between us, he's genuinely trying to understand.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking today, and I realized something…" I begin, treading carefully as if the slightest misstep will turn him away from me.

"And?"

"And I… John, I need you." The shock from my confession is evident on his face, but I think I may have shocked myself even more. Did I really just admit that I _need_ someone? I've never needed anyone, at least, not since I landed on Earth and discovered that Finn wasn't just mine anymore. But here I am, telling John Murphy that I need him.

"You called me John," he states.

"What?"

"You called me John. You've never called me John before, it's always been 'Murphy' or 'Cockroach.'"

"I guess I, well I just, I meant—" I feel heat rise to my cheeks, unable to stop myself from blushing as I stammer to correct myself for using his first name. Seeing how flustered I'm getting, he steps towards me and puts his hands on my shoulders, calming me and bringing my attention back to him.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing." With those simple words, he places his lips to mine again in a chaste kiss.

I stand for a few moments just looking at him, feeling unsure of myself, unsure of what to do. Finally, just to break the silence I say, "Okay. So I, uh, I guess I'm just going to go to bed."

I turn away from him, ready to make a break for the door. I take a few steps forward, only to feel John's hand grasping mine. He spins me around to face him again, holding me close to him by my waist, and says, "Stay with me."

With those three words, he leads me over to his bed and there I stay, wrapped safely in his warm embrace all night. I thank Emori for her encouragement silently in my head before letting myself relax into him, feeling calmer and more content than I have since I landed on Earth a year ago.

 **There you go! I've always found Raven and Murphy's relationship dynamic interesting, so I wanted to include it in this story. I love Emori with my whole heart, though, so the struggle was finding a way to do it without breaking her heart. Hopefully I did it justice. In the next chapter, we'll take another look into how things are going for Clarke and Madi on the ground! As always, I'll update as soon as I can!**

 **xoxo Kitty**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again! It's currently 3 AM and I just finished up this chapter. I've been working on it for hours and I didn't want to wait to share it with you, so here goes nothing.** **This is also the longest chapter, with the word count coming in over double that of the longest chapter before this.** **There's more Trigedasleng in this one, so translations will be at the bottom of the page again. Let me know if you like the translations the way I have them now or if you'd prefer to see them in a different format, like this:**

 **Beja/Please**

 **Where you can see the line in Trig and in English right next to each other.** **I really enjoy your feedback so please leave some reviews!**

 **CLARKE POV**

 **1 December 2150**

"Today marks the beginning of week 35 of this pregnancy. I've been having some slight cramping, but that's normal, my body is just preparing for the birth. I've really been feeling the need to prepare our little home for the baby. In my medical training on the Ark, they referred to this as 'nesting.' I found a cradle in one of the other cabins, as well as a rocking chair, which I moved into our cabin. Madi explained to me that that cabin was built as a nursery. While other members of Louwoda Kliron Kru were busy working or hunting, a few people would stay in this cabin and watch over the babies and children whose parents were out working. I was also able to find some needles and thread, so I've started making clothes for the baby. I wasn't good at it at first, but I've gotten better. For all the worrying I did about the baby being due during what should be the middle of winter, it never occurred to me that this entire planet essentially just caught fire. Winter isn't exactly a going concern anymore."

I chuckle a bit at my own foolishness. How could I have been so caught up on something as insignificant as a season that no longer exists?

"My biggest concern right now is that I'm not sure if the baby is going to be born with my Nightblood or if I'll have to perform a transfusion somehow. I don't completely understand how Nightblood was passed on genetically, and I'm the first person to be given artificial Nightblood in I don't even know how long. I still have five weeks left until I'm due, so Madi and I are planning to take another trip to Becca's island in about three weeks. That should give us plenty of room for error if this baby decides to come early. Becca's lab isn't an option for us right now, considering that I my stomach is huge and just walking is proving to be more difficult than it used to be. There's no way I could move around debris and maneuver my way into the lab. The lighthouse bunker, however, managed to stay intact so that is where Madi and I will be staying until the baby is born. At least I know that bunker is secure from radiation, so we'll all be safe until I can figure out whether or not I need to do a blood transfusion for the baby.

"I miss you so much, Bellamy. I wish you were here to go through this pregnancy with me; to feel the baby kicking, to hold my hand while I give birth, to see your baby take its first breaths. At the same time, though, I'm almost relieved that you can't see me right now. I look fat and disgusting. In another life, you would've been here by my side. My mother would've been by my side. Octavia would be the doting aunt and—oh my god, Bellamy, can you imagine her excitement over being the first aunt in over a century? I can't wait until you're home and we can tell her about the baby together. Anyway, it's about time for me to make Madi's lunch. I'll talk to you tomorrow, same time, same place, as always."

My heart aches as I say goodbye again. I've said goodbye to plenty of people in my life. I've lost too many people to even count, yet Bellamy's is the hardest loss I've had to face. He's always been there for me to lean on him when I've lost people in the past, but not this time.

We spent so many months together, never admitting our feelings for each other. I wish I hadn't spent those first two weeks hating him so much. I could've kissed him before I left Arkadia after what happened Mount Weather. I could've told him I loved him before I left to fix the satellite. But for once, my heart was calling the shots. My heart so foolishly believed that I would see him again, that I'd make it back to the rocket in time and spend the next five years with him. Five years without constantly having to save the human race. Five years of loving him. We would've had this baby together, we would've had the medical equipment from Med Bay, we would've had our friends for support.

As soon as I have this thought, I find myself feeling guilty. If I had made it onto the rocket, if I had made it back to the Go-Sci Ring with my friends, what would've become of Madi? My Madi, my little girl who I love so much, who I can't imagine my life without. She would've been all alone for five years. Could she have survived?

I force the thought out of my head and I walk over to our fire pit to light a fire. As I start cutting up fish for lunch, I get a strong cramping feeling in my lower back. I assume they're Braxton Hicks contractions until I feel something wet dripping between my legs. I let out a gasp as I realize what is happening: my water broke. I'm going into labor.

" _Skai drag em,_ " I mutter to myself. It's too early, I still have five weeks left until my due date. I know from my medical training that a baby born this early can survive, but premature babies weren't very common on the Ark, and I have no medical equipment. My training definitely did not prepare me to give birth on the ground, five weeks early, with only a six-year-old to help me deliver.

I try to power through the contractions and continue making lunch. I know that my mom was in labor with me for almost 24 hours and labor can sometimes take much longer than that. Only five minutes later, another contraction hits me, far too soon after the last one for my liking. This baby is coming in its own time, and it's coming soon. I call out to Madi, who is laying in one of our hammocks drawing, and she comes running.

" _Chit's skechi?_ " I tried to hide the pain in my voice, but she can tell something is wrong.

"Madi, the baby is coming. Everything will be fine, but I'm going to need your help. I need you to go to the river and collect water for me. Can you do that?" She nods, collects a few canteens, and runs off to the river.

I grit my teeth and hold on to our makeshift kitchen counter as I breathe through another contraction. There's hardly any time between them. This baby is impatient, clearly taking after its father in that respect. A wave of nausea hits me and I can't help but give in to it. Even with the cramping in my back and my legs, I do my best to waddle back into the cabin and lay on the bed.

After a few more contractions, Madi comes running into the cabin with the water she's collected. She walks in in the middle of a particularly brutal contraction and, although I try my best not to, I can't help but let out a moan. Fear is evident on her face.

"Madi, _beja_ , bring the radio to me." She rushes to the porch, where I left it, and brings it back to me. " _Mochof, ai hodon._ Now, I want you to go wait outside, okay? When you hear a baby crying, you can come back in and meet your _stribro_ or _strisis,_ but until then I want you to go back to drawing in your hammock. Can you do that?"

" _Sha,_ Clarke." She nods obediently and begins to walk out of the cabin. Before she reaches the door, she turns around and rushes back to me. She engulfs me in the biggest hug her little arms can manage around my protruding stomach and whispers, " _Ai hod yu in._ "

My eyes water, partially because of the pain brought on by the contraction I'm experiencing, but mostly because of the sentiment expressed by my eldest child. This is the first time she's told me she loves me, and it warms my heart in a way that I can't quite explain.

" _Ai hod yu in sentaim,_ Madi," I whisper back, and she runs out the door again.

I grimace and fail to bite back another scream as I pick up my radio to call Bellamy.

"It's time, Bellamy. The baby's coming. I'm trying to get myself through this, but I'm in so much pain. I'm scared, Bellamy. In case this is the last time I get to talk to you… Don't feel bad about leaving me. You did what you had to do. And because you did, our kids have a father to look after them. I need you to live, come home, and take care of our kids, Bell. Please. I love you so much."

And with that, the world turns black.

* * *

I wake to an eerie silence. There is no light, no noise, no movement. No life. The world around me is as dead as it was after Praimfaya. Where is the baby? Where is Madi? Terror strikes my heart as my eyes search the ceiling wildly, looking for any signs of my children. I grow more and more panicked as I realize there's no one around me. I am the last person on Earth again. I try to will myself to sit up, but the pain is too great for me to move.

"Wake up princess," a voice calls to me. A voice I would recognize anywhere.

"Bellamy?"

"I'm here princess," he whispers to me.

"Where am I? Where is the baby? Am I dead? How are you here?" I ask each question without so much as a breath in between them, trying to understand what is going on.

"No, princess, you're not dead. The babies are still inside you. I'm only here to encourage you. You have to stay calm, our babies need you. Madi needs you."

"Babies?" Another contraction hits and it knocks the breath out of me. I recover and cry out, "I'm scared, I can't do this on my own. I wish you were here, and nothing hurt. It hurts so much, Bell."

"You're not alone."

"Please stay, Bellamy. I need you," I let out a sob, "I love you."

"I love you too, princess. May we meet again."

"Bellamy? Bellamy, no! Come back!" His image fades until I'm left in the dark once again, surrounded by nothing but darkness.

"Clarke? Clarke, _stomba op! Beja, stomba op!_ "

My eyes fly open, all of my senses rushing back to me at once: the unbearable pain, the sweat and tears dripping down my face, the sound of my own screams, and the sight of Madi—who is standing where Bellamy was mere moments ago, looking absolutely terrified.

"Oh, Madi, _nou get yu daun, soukei,_ " I whisper to her, trying to quell her fears as well as my own. "I told you to stay outside, _ai niron._ "

" _Ai's trana sis yu au!_ " She raises her voice, only working herself up more as she tries to explain. "You were sleeping, you wouldn't wake up!"

Another wave of pain hits me and I can't hold back my screams this time, which only scares Madi further.

"Madi, _ai na push em au nau._ I know you're scared, but I need you to wait outside."

" _Ai no fir raun,_ I want to help."

Seeing how brave my little girl is being brings me a sense of pride. I should've known better than to have expected her to wait patiently outside. She survived 58 days by herself post-Praimfaya, she's tough enough to handle this.

My thoughts are interrupted as I suddenly feel a strong urge to push. Before I can explain what is happening to Madi, I let out a bloodcurdling scream and bear down, pushing as hard as I can. I push for what feels like hours and I am quickly losing hope when I hear Madi say, "I see the baby!"

With newfound strength and determination coursing through my veins like the heat of Praimfaya, I give one final push. The pain gives way to an overwhelming sense of relief as I hear my baby's cry pierce the air. With tears of joy streaming down my face, I reach down to tie off the umbilical cord and take the baby from Madi.

"Madi, _yu stribro. Ai nomfa."_ I sigh, still breathless from the birth. "You should name him."

"Me?" She asks, bewildered. I only nod in response. She takes a long look at him before she says, " _Ai na tag yu laik_ Augustus," she trips over the name a bit, but her intention is clear, "like the story you told me about Aunt Octavia, remember?"

"I think your Aunt Octavia will love that." I'm touched that she remembers the story of how Bellamy gave Octavia her name, and I know that both Blake siblings will feel the same. Augustus's name is the perfect homage to this family.

"Can I go get his clothes?" Madi asks, getting restless after the events of the afternoon.

"That's a great idea," I say, and she hurries off to the nursery cabin, where we've been storing all of the baby supplies.

I take a moment to truly look Augustus over. I count his ten little fingers and his ten little toes. He's smaller than I had hoped, which is to be expected considering how early he came, but he's perfect. I'm basking in the joy of finally meeting my son when I feel another contraction, even stronger than the final one before Augustus was born.

 _This isn't right,_ I think to myself. Then I remember something Bellamy said when he came to me after I passed out:

 _"The babies are still inside you… our babies need you."_

Bab _ies_ , plural. Another contraction washes over me, more intense and severe than the last, as I realize what's happening to me. I'm having another baby. I'm having twins.

I don't know how I'm going to survive this a second time, but I don't give a damn about my own well-being right now. It's all about my kids. I call out to Madi, knowing that I'm going to need her to hold Augustus while I birth the second baby, and she comes rushing back into the cabin.

"Madi, take Augustus. Use the water from the canteens to clean him up, and then try to get him dressed, okay?"

"Clarke, what's wrong?" I'm panting, trying to breathe through the contraction that I'm experiencing, but I'm clearly not doing a good job at hiding my pain.

"There's no time to explain, Madi, just take the baby. _Beja._ " Her eyes search my face for a moment before she takes Augustus into her arms and carefully walks out the door with him.

I grit my teeth as I bring my chin to my chest and scream, feeling the need to push again. My legs are shaking with the exertion of pushing and I feel the baby's head begin to crown. With one last contraction, one last push, one last bloodcurdling scream, the second baby lets out a cry. Relief floods through me again.

I force myself to sit up, disregarding the pain and focusing only on my baby. I'm still in a state of shock when Madi comes in, holding a newly cleaned and clothed Augustus in her arms. She stops halfway through the door, not understanding what she missed when she was gone from the cabin.

"Madi, come meet your _strisis_ ," I encourage her, coaxing her into the cabin from the doorway.

" _Ai strisis?_ " I can't help but give a small laugh at the look of confusion that crosses her face.

"Yes, Madi. You have a brother _and_ a sister now. It's a good surprise, right?"

She pauses for a moment, carefully considering how she feels about this change of events. She walks closer to us, examining the baby girl that now lies in my arms.

" _Em ste meizen,_ " she whispers, careful not to disrupt the sleeping infant. "What will you call her?"

"Aurora, for her grandmother," I decide, knowing how much it will mean to Bellamy.

"Ar…roar…" Her brow furrows as she grows frustrated with her inability to pronounce the name.

"How about we call her Rory for short?" I suggest, trying to ease her frustration. She nods, smiling up at me.

"Rory and Gustus…" she muses, not bothering with the first syllable of Augustus's name. " _Ai bro, ai sis, ai job_."

 **Read and review! xoxo Kitty**

 **Trigedasleng Translations (Line by line.)**

 _ **God damn it.**_

 _ **What's wrong?**_

 _ **Please.**_

 _ **Thank you, my love.**_

 _ **Little brother or little sister.**_

 _ **Yes.**_

 _ **I love you.**_

 ** _I love you too._**

 ** _Wake up! Please, wake up!_**

 ** _Don't worry, it's okay._**

 ** _My love._**

 ** _I'm trying to help you!_**

 _ **I'm giving birth now.**_

 _ **I'm not afraid.**_

 _ **Your little brother. My son.**_

 _ **I will call you...**_

 _ **Little sister.**_

 _ **My little sister?**_

 _ **She's beautiful.**_

 _ **My brother, my sister, my responsibility.**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! This chapter is kind of just a cute little filler chapter. The next chapter is pretty long, and we're going to see Spacekru in a pretty dark place. I didn't hear back from anyone about the way I post the Trig translations, so I'm going to keep doing it how I've been doing it for now. Now that the babies have been born, we have another four and a half years until Bellamy is supposed to come home. Would anyone be opposed to some pretty big time jumps? Obviously I'll make sure to hit on some milestones for the twins, and for Clarke and Madi, but four and a half years is a long time. I'm sure everyone is just as eager as I am for the Bellarke reunion. Let me know what your opinion is about time jumps! I want to get writing, but I want to make sure you guys will be okay with time jumps before I write them. I want to keep you all happy, too!**

 **CLARKE POV**

 **2 December 2150**

"You're a father, Bell. We have twins," I let out a soft giggle, still elated that I have two perfect, healthy newborns. "I know, I still can't believe it myself. The labor was unbelievably hard, but there weren't any real complications other than the fact that they came so early. Their names are Augustus Lincoln Blake and Aurora Abigail Blake. Madi named Augustus, but I gave him his middle name in honor of Lincoln. I know you didn't always see eye to eye with him, but he meant a lot to your sister and it just felt right to name our son after him. Aurora Abigail, obviously, is both of our mothers' names. Madi has a hard time pronouncing Aurora so we've been calling her Rory for short.

"God, Bell, they've been here for less than 24 hours but I'm already so in love with them. They're absolutely perfect. They both have your dark, curly hair, your tan skin, and your freckles. We'll have to wait and see whose eyes they end up with, since all babies are born with blue eyes. I can't wait for you to meet them, I know you're going to love them. They'll be four years and four months old when you get home. I think I can manage them until then, but we both know that you Blakes are trouble makers. I'm looking forward to having you by my side again and raising our babies together, as a team. I love you so much. Stay safe up there for me."

The past 24 hours have been such a whirlwind. I went from a mother of one to a mother of three. I glance at Aurora, who is happily napping on my lap without a care in the world. I look across the yard at Madi, who is holding Augustus in her arms, gazing down lovingly at her new baby brother. I feel lighter than I have in months, literally and figuratively. Having my babies in my arms rather than inside of me, being able to see their beautiful faces, brings me a sense of peace that I didn't know I was missing. I feel whole. Well, almost. I know I'll never truly feel whole without Bellamy by my side.

I'm planning our trip to Becca's lab in my head when I remember something that President Wallace told me over a year ago: The reason that the Ark citizens were able to survive on Earth, while the citizens of Mount Weather couldn't, is because we built up a tolerance for solar radiation levels. The fact that Bellamy came from Factory Station never seemed so important until now. People in Factory Station were faced with more solar radiation than anyone else on the Ark, seeing as their quarters were never as up to date as the rest of the Ark. The combination of my artificial Nightblood and Bellamy's blood has made it so our babies can survive on this radiation-soaked planet. I'm not a huge believer in miracles, but I sure as hell believe in this one. We'll still go to Becca's lab, just to check on some things for my own peace of mind, but I'm no longer fearful that my newborns won't be able to survive on this irradiated planet.

Suddenly, Aurora lets out a cry and Madi immediately comes over to check on her. Sometimes when I look at Madi all I can think of is how much Bellamy would love her. He was so good with Charlotte, and he raised Octavia and protected her fiercely. Although she isn't biologically my child, or Bellamy's, she reminds me a lot of him. Madi is such a good big sister, and she's a huge help to me already. She always wants to be holding one of the babies, playing with them, or just talking to them. She cares so much for her brother and sister, she protects them just like Bellamy protected Octavia. Bellamy would be so proud of her. I know that he's going to love her like she's his own child, just like I do.

"Clarke?" I snap out of my thoughts at the sound of Madi's voice. One glance at her face tells me that she's upset about something. My normally happy girl looks troubled, and I don't know why.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" She sniffles a bit, and scooches away from me.

"You're not my _nomon_ anymore. You're the babies' _nomi_ now, not mine." She lets out a sob. I take Augustus from her arms and lay him next to Aurora on the blanket I've placed on the ground. With my arms free, I open them to her and she throws herself into them.

"Oh, Madi, _ai niron,_ don't cry," I coo to her, placing a kiss on her head. " _Ai kamp hir, ai goufa._ I am just as much your _nomon_ as I am theirs."

"But you didn't have me in your tummy like them," She wails, only getting more worked up as she speaks.

"You're right. I didn't carry you in my tummy, but I carried you in my heart, and that's what matters. Blood doesn't make a family, Madi, love does. You're my child, too, just like Augustus and Aurora. And I love you so very much, okay? I don't ever want you to forget that."

I hold her closer to me as her cries subside and her breathing steadies. She falls asleep in my embrace, and I carry her to her bed, deciding that she needs a nap after her little meltdown. With Madi asleep in her bed and the twins asleep outside, I have a rare moment of silence to myself.

As I sit in the sun, I find my thoughts wandering back to Bellamy, as they always do. I've come to realize that everyone I've ever loved has either died at my own hands or as a direct consequence of my actions. I hated Wells for so long and as soon as I forgave him, he died. When I slept with Finn, I found out he had a girlfriend, and then I killed him. He died in my arms, by my hand. When I got close to Lexa, she betrayed me. When I realized that I loved her, I watched her die as I held her, having been shot by a bullet that was intended for me.

I pushed Bellamy away after Finn died. I sent him into Mount Weather, even though I hated that plan. He knew I hated that plan, and he called me out on it, I just couldn't let myself get any closer to him. I was scared. Lexa told me that love was weakness, so I sent him away. Even she recognized my feelings for him before I did. When I finally let my guard down with Bellamy, after so many months and so much longing, he was gone. I was too afraid to admit that I loved him. I thought I was afraid of saying those three words, but my true fear was of losing him before I got the chance to tell him.

I've let him down too many times to have let him down this time. Closing the dropship door on him. Letting him go inside Mount Weather. Leaving Arkadia and letting him turn to Pike for leadership. Not going back with him when he fought so hard to bring me home. He has always fought for me. Even when I was a prisoner in Mount Weather, or in Polis, I never felt lonely because I knew he was out there trying to get to me. I don't know if that's true anymore. I hope it is. God, I hope it is.

He is my center, my compass. I could always rely on him to keep me strong. He is the one person I can admit that I need, and his loss is the only one that could've hurt me this badly. He has to be alive.

 **Read and review! xoxo Kitty**

 **Trigedasleng Translations (Line by line.)  
**

 _ **Mom**_

 _ **Mommy**_

 _ **My love**_

 _ **I'm here, my child**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, guys, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I love this chapter. I'm super excited about this chapter. I worked really hard on this chapter, which is now the longest chapter of the story thus far. This particular time jump is only four months, but they will get longer as we cover the next few years.**

 **BELLAMY POV**

 **31 March 2151**

"It's officially been one year since Praimfaya. One year since I left you behind on a burning planet. I didn't even get to say goodbye. There are days where I feel so broken, so numb, that I can't move, and just the simple act of breathing is too much for me to bear. Everyone else is doing pretty well up here. Harper has taken to learning about medicine, she spends a lot of time in the Med Bay, reading old books that your mom left up here. Monty and his algae farm are thriving, and he and Harper are happier than ever. Murphy and Raven are together now, have been for a few months. I don't think anyone was as surprised as the two of them were. Echo and Emori have been teaching the others how to fight like grounders. Grounders in space," I mumble, recalling the time I said these same words to her a year ago, "Still an oxymoron. I have no purpose up here. There isn't any strategizing to be done, there are no troops to rally, no enemies to battle or wars to be won. I'm useless. Who am I if I'm not a co-leader? Who am I if I'm not a soldier? Who am I if I'm not protecting my sister, the 100, or the woman I love?

"You know, princess, I thought this was going to be my opportunity to tell you how I feel about you. I've known for so long, but every time I think I see the opportunity to tell you, something goes wrong. You should be up here with me. We should've had five years to just be together, not constantly worrying about people trying to kill us or trying to wipe out the human race. This should've been our time to just focus on us and our relationship, instead of focusing on saving the world for once.

"God, I feel pathetic. Here I am, professing my love for you and I don't even know if you feel the same way. For all I know, you just got caught up in the moment and wanted to have sex on Earth before the world ended again. Maybe it didn't mean anything to you…" I stop speaking as I hear footsteps approaching me. I look over my shoulder to see Echo approaching me. I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to the dead planet outside the window.

"Look, Bellamy, I know you probably don't want to be around me right now, but I just want you to know that if you need to talk to someone, you can always come talk to me. You shouldn't have to go through this alone."

"Oh, go float yourself Echo. You killed Gina and the rest of the innocents in Mount Weather. You almost killed my sister. You tried to kill _Clarke_. How can you think I would ever trust you again?"

"If you hate me so much, why didn't you just let me die a year ago? What was the point of stopping me if you were just going to spend the next five years despising me anyway? You can hate me all you want, but if Clarke was here—"

"Clarke's **not here** ," I yell, cutting her off.

"She wouldn't want you to spend the next four years beating yourself up over leaving her behind. Clarke didn't lose her life just so you could throw yours away."

"My life," I scoff, "is not a life worth living without Clarke Griffin." I turn and walk away from her, not entirely sure where I'm going, just wanting to get as far away from her as possible.

* * *

 **EMORI POV**

 **-Later-**

When dinner rolls around, everyone meets up in the mess hall just like every other night, but with two exceptions.

"Guys, where are Bellamy and Echo?" I ask, seeing as I seem to be the only one concerned by their absence.

"I haven't seen Bellamy all day. Today is an especially hard day for him, so I figured we should all give him some space," Monty says, as he pours us each a glass of his brand-new algae moonshine. I know he's been worried about Bellamy, but he's been grieving too. He lost his best friend.

"Yeah, and last I saw of Echo, she was going to check on Bellamy," Harper chimes in. "I told her it wasn't a good idea, but she went anyway."

The two couples in the room sit hand in hand as we eat our meal, but I can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. Only a few minutes later, the sound of an alarm pierces the air, proving my suspicions right.

"Raven, what is that? What does that alarm mean?" I ask, my heart plummeting to my stomach as if it knows the answer before she speaks it.

"Airlock malfunction. Unauthorized spacewalk," she barely finishes speaking before she's out the door. Everyone follows her out of the room without a second's pause, Monty still with the bottle of moonshine in his hands. As we get closer to the airlock everyone stops short at the sight of what, or who, is causing the malfunction.

Echo kneels inside the space lock, shirtless, pressing her bloody palm to her abdomen. I recognize this as the Azgeda suicide ritual, and immediately spring into action, running toward the airlock. I begin frantically pressing buttons, trying to get the airlock doors to open, as I call out to her.

"Echo, what are you doing? Stop this. Open the damn door, Echo!" She heaves a sigh and opens her eyes, meeting my gaze.

"I'm only finishing what I started a year ago. I am Azgeda, a grounder, I'm not meant to live in the sky. This is no way for me to live. May we meet again, my sister. _Ai gonplei ste odon,_ " she whispers.

"No! Echo, damn it, stop! Please!" My cries don't reach her in time, and she reaches her hand up to hit the button that opens the doors to the airlock. I watch, paralyzed, as she is sucked into space. An uncomfortable silence falls over the group as I fall to my knees, tears streaming down my face. No one knows how to respond to what just happened. No one knows how to address this loss.

"We need to find Bellamy," Raven is the first to break the silence. I wipe the tears from my face and stand, turning to face the others.

"I'll go," I state firmly. "I need to be the one to check on him. Whatever argument they had that triggered Echo, I'm sure Bellamy isn't feeling too great either. And Monty?" The man looks at me inquisitively. "I'm taking the moonshine with me."

* * *

After about fifteen minutes of wandering the Ring, I find a door that is hanging open. The sign printed above the doorway reads "Sky Box." I know from stories that the others have told me that the Sky Box is where they used to keep the juvenile prisoners. The 100 that were sent down to Earth used to live in these cells. I open the door and let myself in, trying not to make too much noise or startle Bellamy, who I'm sure is in here.

The Sky Box consists of two floors with 50 cells each. The cells line the walls of each floor, and there is an open room in the center of the first floor, presumably where they'd allow the delinquents to eat and spend some time out of their cells. I walk along the sides of the room, peering in to each of the cells. It isn't until I get to the furthest corner of the second floor that I find him sitting in a cell.

This cell is different from the others. It's hidden from plain sight, isolated from the rest of the cells. It's nestled in a corner near a guard station. It's clear that whoever was in this cell was not to be seen by or heard from by the other prisoners. The rest of the cells are completely devoid of any evidence that there were children who once stayed in them, but not this one. The walls and floors of this cell are covered in charcoal drawings of Earth. As I look at Bellamy, who has fallen asleep on the cot in the corner of the small room, it dawns on me who this cell belonged to: Clarke.

I stand in silence for another moment, not wanting to disturb the peace that Bellamy seems to have found, but the illusion is shattered when Bellamy starts thrashing around in the bed. Sweat drips down his face as he lets out a strangled cry. I carefully place my hand on his arm, not wanting to frighten him, and he opens his eyes. A look of confusion crosses his face, and then embarrassment, as he realizes that I woke him up because he started screaming Clarke's name in his sleep.

"What's wrong?" He asks, studying my face. I realize that my eyes are probably red from crying, and I have streaks from tears on my cheeks. I had been holding myself together, but when he asks what's wrong, I break down crying.

Bellamy doesn't hesitate to take me into his arms. As I cry, I find solace in the strength of his arms wrapped so tightly around me. He places his chin on top of my head and whispers, "Hey, whatever it is, it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay."

I pull away, taking a moment to look him in the eyes as I deliver the bad news.

"Bellamy, Echo's gone. She said she couldn't handle being trapped in space and she floated herself. I know you're hurting because of Clarke, but I need you to stop thinking with your heart and start using your head. I can't lose any more family." It's clear that this hits him hard, but he doesn't allow himself the time to react, simply pulling me back into his embrace.

"I'm so, so sorry, Emori. This is all my fault. I know she meant a lot to you. Just let it all out. You're always so strong for everyone but you don't have to be strong right now, not with me."

Something about Bellamy is so familiar to me. He reminds me of Otan, so strong and protective. For a long time, I allow myself to cry, in spite of the fact that I came here to comfort him. I allow myself to grieve over Echo, and Otan, all over again. Finally, I pull myself together and I pick up the bottle of Monty's moonshine, offering it to Bellamy.

"I figured you could use this," I say, and he chuckles a bit before taking a swig of the clear liquid.

"From the looks of it, you could use some as well." He hands me the bottle and I take a small sip of it at first, to acquaint myself with the bitter tasting liquid, and then I take a larger gulp.

"Thanks for letting me grieve, Bellamy, but I actually came here to comfort you. I know today is a hard day for you, I figured you could use a friend."

"You know, I actually wanted to thank you."

"What for?" I ask, entirely unsure as to what he could need to thank me for.

"When we were in the rocket, right as we were about to leave, you asked if we could give Clarke another minute. I wanted to thank you for that, for wanting to give her that extra minute."

"Oh, it was nothing. She saved me by injecting herself with that Nightblood. I wanted her to make it back to the rocket in time, I wanted her to be up here with us, too."

We sit in an amicable silence for a few minutes, silently passing the bottle of moonshine back and forth between us, before I break the silence again.

"You know, I didn't get to know her very well, what with the whole world ending and all. Will you tell me about her? I'd like to get to know the woman who sacrificed her life for me. I think I owe her that much." He looks at me, tears threatening to escape his eyes, and he nods. Swallowing another sip of the moonshine, he braces himself to begin his story.

"I think our relationship started platonically for her, but not for me. I knew there was something special about her from the first moment I saw her. I acted like a pompous ass for the first few weeks, but I think I was just trying to convince myself that I wasn't falling for this girl because my feelings for her scared the hell out of me. She'd look at me like she was so annoyed with me that she wanted to kill me one second, and then look at me like she couldn't live without me the next. I called her 'brave princess' once, and I'm sure she thought I was just mocking her, but I meant it. She's the strongest person I know. From the moment the dropship landed, she was thinking about how to keep everyone safe. Even when she thought her mother was dead, she hardly allowed herself to grieve, always thinking about everyone but herself.

"When we went to go save Jasper from the grounders, she fell into a trap, and my hand shot out to grab hers before I had time to even think about it. Part of me thought it might've been easier to let her fall, but when I looked into her eyes, I knew I couldn't do that. All I could see in her eyes was fear. In that moment, I knew I could never let her get hurt again. I knew that I could never let her fall, no matter what.

"I'll never forget the first time she hugged me. She was taken by the Mountain Men, and when she finally escaped and made it back to camp, I was out looking for her. When I came home, she came running towards me the second we saw each other. It was the most amazing feeling, seeing her alive after spending so much time apart. She ran into my arms and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. For a few moments, I was so shocked that I didn't know how to react. The second I snapped out of it, though, I wrapped my arms around her and held her so close to me. I should've held her closer. Octavia made this comment, _'Well there's something I thought I'd never see.'_ I'm sure Clarke thought she was referring to the fact that we were constantly bickering about something, but I know my little sister and I saw it for what it was. She never thought she'd see me fall in love.

"The night that Finn died, I promised myself she'd never have to make a decision like that on her own again, that she'd never have to shoulder a burden like that by herself again. She pushed me away after that, sending me into Mount Weather even though we both knew she hated doing it, but I went anyway because she asked me to. I remember my relief at hearing her voice when I radioed Camp Jaha from inside Mount Weather. I remember the way my heart skipped a beat when she said, _'You came through. I knew you would.'_ I remember all of it.

"I already knew I loved her after what happened at Mount Weather, when we pulled that lever together. When she left me at the gate to Arkadia, I was heartbroken. Instead of admitting that I loved her, to her or to myself, I let those feelings of sadness and heartbreak turn to anger and resentment. I tried convincing myself that I hated her. I even started dating someone else, trying to fill the hole she left in my life. Gina was great, but she wasn't Clarke. I wish I hadn't taken her for granted. I wish I hadn't wasted our time together on stupid arguments. We wasted time and energy being upset with each other, when we could've been making the most of what little time we had. But we didn't know how little time we had.

"When she left, and I turned to Pike as a leader, I failed her. I couldn't lead without her by my side. Clarke was a natural leader, and she made me believe I could be a leader. She made me believe that I could be good, even when I only saw all of the negative things about myself. She kept me centered. She listened to me and respected what I had to say. The only approval that ever really mattered to me was hers. I tried my best to provide for her, to show up for her, to keep her safe. It wasn't enough.

"When Clarke and I were together, there was no 'you' or 'me,' there was only 'us.' She was my partner. Together we were like Atlas, holding the entire world on our shoulders, but we had each other to lighten the load and share the burdens of leadership. She was the only person I felt like I could count on, the only person I knew really cared about me. Not to sound too cliché, but she was literally my other half. I was the heart, she was the head. When I close my eyes, I can still feel her hand placed over my heart as she reminded me that I need to use my head, too. She's not here to remind me to use my head anymore." I mentally kick myself, realizing that that's why it hurt him so much when I told him to lead with his head earlier.

"When she was making the list of the 100 people who would get to live through Praimfaya, she wrote my name in the 99th slot. I knew she was battling over whether to put her name down as number 100, so I did it for her because I didn't want to live in a world where Clarke Griffin didn't exist. I put her name on that list and I still couldn't save her.

"If it had been just me, if I wouldn't have been risking the lives of you and the rest of our friends, I would've waited for her forever. At least then I would've died with her. But instead, I abandoned her. I killed her, it's my fault she's dead. I failed her and it is killing me. I wish I'd stayed behind. I wish I'd died in that fire with her. I let her fall this time. I would sacrifice myself a million times over, but not Clarke. Never Clarke.

"Can you imagine how she felt seeing our rocket leave Earth without her on it? Can you imagine how much pain I have caused her by leaving? It plagues me every day. I sleep, only to be woken up by nightmares of her screaming _'Bellamy, no! Wait! I need you, Bellamy!'_ They aren't always nightmares, though. I have dreams where I'd stop the door from closing and bring her back to the rocket safely. Dreams about four years from now, when I'll see her again. I once told her that as long as we're still breathing, there's hope. Until I can prove that she's dead, I can't let myself believe it. I have to keep calling her every day. I have to keep hoping or I'll fall apart.

"You know, when we were on the Ark, I had a shot at becoming a member of the Guard, but I blew it. After that, I was just a janitor, nothing special. But Clarke had a bright future ahead of her. She was the daughter of the Ark's chief doctor, training to follow in her mother's footsteps. I never would've had a future with her. But even so, I like to imagine what our future would've been like together. Seeing the type of leader she is, it only makes sense that she would be an amazing mother. I've always thought that, ever since I saw how she handled the youngest of the 100, a 12-year-old named Charlotte. She was a natural with her, very level headed and compassionate. Our kid would've been a damn lucky one.

"She's so kind, so caring, so aware of the needs of the people she cares about. I stood by her side so many times, just waiting to be there if she fell apart and needed me to pick up the pieces. Everyone around us was constantly talking about peace and war, wrong and right, and I just wanted to be there for her to hold the pieces together. But when it really mattered, I couldn't be there for her. She always knew what I needed, but she never realized that the only thing I ever really needed was her. I should've told her that. It's like there was this invisible line between us that we were both too scared to cross.

"Every time we lost each other, and I thought I'd never see her again, we still found our way back to each other against all odds. I hope that's still true now. I owe her a million apologies, a million thank yous. So many things I should've said, but now it's too late. I'll never be able to tell her how glad I am that I snuck onto the dropship," he lets out a sigh, visibly deflating from his confession. "You probably think I'm insane."

"I don't think you're insane, I think you're in love. I've never seen anything like the love you two have for each other. It's clear how much you love her, and anyone with eyes can see that she loves you, too."

"I never told her that. And now I may never get to." This is a side of Bellamy Blake that I have never seen before. The Bellamy Blake I know does not give up, does not resign himself to failure. He constantly fights for everyone else, and now someone needs to fight for him for a change.

"Keep her alive in your heart, in your memories, like the ones you just shared with me. You can't change the past, but you can shape your future. Let her memory inspire you to be better. We need our fearless leader back."

"Well, that's too bad. We left her on Earth."

"You are our fearless leader, Bellamy."

"Not without her I'm not." We sit in silence for a moment before he speaks again. "Everyone is tiptoeing around me like I'm made of glass. No one really knows how to talk to me anymore. Even when someone is just sitting with me, the silence is awkward. It's not awkward with you, though," he admits, allowing himself a small smile. "You remind me of Octavia."

"Oh?" I inquire, allowing him time to think before he continues.

"On the Ark, families were only allowed to have one child. But our mother had Octavia when I was six. I used to hate my mother for breaking the law and condemning me to this life of secrecy. Taking care of Octavia meant I didn't get a real childhood because I was always trying to keep this secret that could ruin our lives. For so long, my mother engrained one thought in me: my sister, my responsibility. But Octavia wasn't only my responsibility, she was my world. I don't truly love a lot of people, but the people I love, I love with everything I have. Octavia…" He trails off, not needing to say Clarke's name for me to know that she's the other name on his mind. "For the year she was in lockup, I had no purpose. I didn't know what to do with myself. Our mother was floated and the only other family I had, the only other person I cared about, I couldn't see or talk to. And to think, her only crime was being born. Octavia's life has never been fair. Not on the Ark, not on the ground. But she has always fought for herself, just like you. You're both strong and independent. You're both fighters."

"I had a brother too, you know. His name was Otan. You remind me of him. I don't know if you know this, but Otan and I were cast out of our clan because of my hand," I notice his gaze fall to my hand, which is wrapped in cloth as it always is. "Otan kept me safe for so many years. I miss him a lot. I've spent my whole life feeling like I don't fit in, and the only person who ever made me feel otherwise is gone now."

Once again, our conversation reaches a halt. The silence between us feels natural, not awkward, and it's oddly comforting.

"Emori?" Bellamy asks, gently. I look up to meet his gaze, so he knows I'm listening. "You should unwrap your hand. We're family up here, you don't have to hide anything from us."

I weigh his words for a moment, struggling internally with the idea of unwrapping my hand and letting everyone see what I've hidden for so long. I know that they aren't like my clan was, they won't see me as something to be erased. Still, the idea is foreign to me, and intimidating. I look at Bellamy again and, for once in my life, feel like I'm being accepted for everything that I am. Slowly, I unweave the carefully wrapped cloth that shields my hand from plain sight. When I look up, Bellamy is not staring at my hand like I expected him to be. He's looking me directly in the eye, and he's smiling.

"You'll always fit in with me," he says, reaching around me with his arm and pulling me into a hug. For the first time in a very long time, I feel like I belong somewhere. I belong here, with these people. My family.

 **There it is! I really really _really_ hope you like it. I feel like some of you might not be happy about my decision about what happened to Echo, but it just kind of felt like the right direction to take this story in. That's all the explanation I have. I love Emori so much, and I really liked exploring the relationship between Emori and Bellamy, because we rarely see them together on the show.**

 **I have another question: Do you think I should leave the date Bellamy and the others return to Earth the same as it is on the show (6 years & 7 days later), make it exactly five years after Praimfaya, or should I have him come home somewhere in the middle? Leave me a review and let me know!**

 **xoxo Kitty**

 **Trigedasleng Translations (Line by line.)**

 _ **My fight is over.**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! It's been a minute. This is a shorter chapter, but I promise that they'll continue to be longer chapters after this.**

 **CLARKE POV**

 **1 December 2151**

"Our babies are a year old today, Bell. Can you believe it? They're growing up so fast, but it feels so slow at the same time. Fast, obviously, because they're our babies and I wish they'd stay this little forever. Slow because I'm still counting down the days until you can come home and meet them yourself. That's 1,217 days, by the way. I drew portraits of you and all of the others, and I show them to the kids every day. I actually have a someone who wants to talk to you," I say, glancing down at the babies, who are sitting by my feet. I lean over to pick up each of my children and sit each of them on one of my legs. Pointing to the portrait of Bellamy in front of us, I ask them "Who is that?"

Augustus smiles as he points to the picture and exclaims, "Daddy!" Aurora takes a few more seconds, but eventually she giggles and says, " _Noni!_ " They're both very wiggly, having become restless while sitting on my lap, so I let them down and they crawl away from me and towards Madi. My heart warms at the sight. They love their big sister so much.

"They know who you are, see? Our babies know you, Madi knows you. I tell them tons of stories about everyone, but especially about you. When you finally come home, they'll recognize you as their father. I'm making sure of it. I know that they're going to love you so much. Madi and I are going to take the babies down to play in the river for a little bit, they love the water. I'll call you again tomorrow, as always. I love you."

As much as I wish Bellamy was here with me, I can't help but be somewhat thankful for the timing of the twins' birth. If I had had them back on the Ark, they never would've allowed both of my babies to live. I can't imagine my life without either of them now, or Madi. They're my whole world.

It's hard knowing just how many milestones Bellamy is missing out on. Their first smiles, their first words, and soon enough, their first steps.

Aurora's first word was _noni,_ and daddy was a close second. I can tell she's going to be a daddy's girl, she'll have Bellamy wrapped around her little fingers. She looks so much like him, she's absolutely beautiful. She has his exact eyes, it's like looking directly at Bellamy. She's very opinionated already, very vocal, just like her Aunt Octavia.

Augustus's first word was mommy, and Madi came right after that. He has my eyes, a clear bright blue. He's so sweet, he's always happy, and he almost never cries. He's very curious, always wanting to explore his surroundings.

Madi is about seven and a half now. She recently hit a growth spurt and grew a few inches. It's so sweet watching her with the twins, she's a really good big sister. They love her so much. I know Madi misses her parents, but she's taken to calling me mom instead of Clarke, so I know that she knows she is a part of my family. I meant it when I told her that love makes a family, not blood. Honestly, if you didn't know any better, you'd think she was Bellamy's and my child. She has dark, wavy hair like Bellamy's and my blue eyes. Her skin tone is closer to mine than it is to his, but the resemblance is almost uncanny.

If Bellamy was here, he would be giving them piggyback rides and telling them stories of Greek mythology right now. He's always had a soft spot for children. I've been telling them the myths that I know, but I only know the ones that Bellamy told me himself. He's much more knowledgeable in that respect than I am.

I've painted my friends as the heroes and gods from Greek mythology. Only Madi gets these grown-up versions of the stories I tell because, truthfully, she is more mature than most seven-year-olds I know. As the twins get older, I'll tell a tamer version of these tales, but Madi loves hearing them they way I tell them now.

President Wallace of Mount Weather is Uranus, overthrown by his son Cronus. Bellamy was Zeus, who weakened Cronus by getting close enough to him to attack, and then encouraging his brothers and sisters to join in the rebellion against him.

Raven is Hephaestus, god of fire and blacksmiths, creating all of the weapons for the gods. Hephaestus is clever and inventive, as is Raven. Hephaestus is also depicted as being crippled, but it never slowed him down, just like Raven has never let any trial or injury get in her way. I'm sure Hephaestus saved the other gods' asses just as many times as Raven has saved ours.

Harper is Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and domesticity. It's only fitting because Harper has such a warm personality. She is so kind, and she is always the peacemaker.

Monty is Plutus, the god of wealth and agricultural bounty. I always tell Madi about his algae farm on the Ring, and how good he is at gardening. There's more to Monty than just gardening though, he's also incredibly intelligent. He doesn't get the credit he deserves.

Emori is Hermes, the god of travelers and thieves and messenger to the gods. She was nomadic during her time on this planet and relied on thievery to stay alive. I do my best to make sure that Madi knows stealing is not okay, but I also make sure that it doesn't make her see Emori in a negative light. To her, Emori is the brave, cunning woman who did whatever it took to survive.

Murphy is Dionysus, god of wine and festivity, or as Madi calls him, the fun one.

Octavia is Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy. At least she is in my stories. In reality, she's more akin to Ares, the god of war, but I don't want to portray her that way to the kids. They should get to know the positive side of their aunt, the side that is decisive and brave, as opposed to her more violent and reckless side.

Bellamy is Jason, leading the Argonauts on their journeys. He is Zeus, king of the gods. He is Odysseus, making his long journey home. He is my Achilles' heel. He is my safe place, my anchor, my heart. He has always been the only one who can calm the storm raging inside of me.

Physical affection has always been a rarity in my life. Obviously, my parents hugged me, but outside of that there weren't many other people who did. Until Bellamy came along. Even the slightest touch from him was my greatest source of my comfort. I drew strength from his strength, warmth from his warmth. Whenever I needed him, he was always right there. But I wasn't always there for him.

I left him after Mount Weather, and it wasn't fair to him. When we pulled that lever, when he said, "Together," he was shouldering the burden of that decision with me. And then I left him to deal with the guilt on his own. I can only hope that this time I came through for him, just like he has for me so many times before.

All of my memories of him are tinted with regret now. I shouldn't have sent him into Mount Weather. I shouldn't have left him afterwards. I shouldn't have wasted our time together. I should have come home with him all of the times he tried to bring me home. I should have listened to him. I shouldn't have pushed him away. I should have held him tighter. I should have loved him when I had the chance.

Now all I can do is hope that he comes home to me so I can love him. I swear, if I get the chance, I won't waste another second.

 **Read and review!**

 **xoxo Kitty**

 **Trigedasleng Translations (Line by line.)**

 _ **Daddy**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone! We're getting closer to the big reunion. I promise your patience will pay off!**

 **BELLAMY POV**

 **31 March 2155**

"So, Princess, it's been five years. I've been looking forward to this day for so long, the day that I'd get to come home and see you again. I'm sorry that I won't be making it home today. Raven has been working around the clock trying to figure out how to get us home. You know, for someone who's beat the odds as many times as she has, you'd think she'd have found another way by now. Emori has been helping her, too," She said she wanted to start learning about mechanics after Echo died so she could prevent an incident like that should it ever happen again, and she's actually become a really good mechanic in the past four years.

"The algae farm is still thriving, so we have plenty of food. We've got plenty of water and moonshine. We'll be okay up here for a while, but things have gotten pretty tense. We're all eager to get home, me more so than anyone. Five years ago, you came through for us, just like I knew you would. Now it's my turn to come through for you and I'm failing. I hope you're okay down there. I hope your life is about more than just surviving now. I hope—" I'm interrupted when someone yanks the radio out of my hands. Murphy.

"Clarke, if you're listening, I hope you appreciate me for not floating him right now."

"What do you want, Murphy?"

"Look, man, I know how much Clarke meant to you. If I ever lost Raven like that, I don't know what I'd do." I look away from him. The reminder of the two happy couples on the Ring stings, even though I know it's childish. "But Clarke wouldn't want you to keep beating yourself up over this. It's been five years. I know you've been mourning, but you've completely fallen apart, and she wouldn't want that for you. Now come on, Raven wants everyone in the comms room."

We walk towards the comms room in an awkward silence. When I open the door, Raven is nowhere to be found, but something about the room is different. The corner where my bed used to be now houses a new bed—Clarke's.

"We know you've been sleeping in her cell," Monty's voice comes from the other side of the room. "But we also know that you want to be close to the radio, so we moved her bed in here for you. We know how hard this is for you, and even though we're not home yet, we figured we'd try to bring home a little closer to you."

I feel tears reach my eyes and find myself unable to stop them from streaming down my face. I'm grieving all over again, being consumed by grief and guilt as they swallow me whole. This is the first time since our fourth month on the Ring that I've cried openly in front of the others.

"Get it together, Blake," Raven says good naturedly as she walks over to me and puts her arm around my shoulders. She, Harper, and Emori had filed into the room without me noticing. "We'll be home in no time, I promise. We're getting closer to finding our way home every day. I know how worried you are, but our princess is too damn stubborn to die, and so is Octavia. I know they're down there waiting for us."

I search Raven's eyes for any sign of dishonesty, but I find none. She's never expressed that she thinks Clarke is alive before, so I'm taken aback at the sudden confession. I can't manage to find the words to respond, still trying to fight the tears that haven't stopped flowing, but I do manage a nod.

Emori is the next to step forward and she places a small item in my hand. I look down and see a simple, silver ring sitting in my palm.

"I found it in Abby's office a while back," she says, somewhat timidly. "I found some old pictures, too, and it looks like it was Abby's ring. I was waiting until the day we went home to give it to you, but I decided you needed it now. It's something palpable for you to hold on to until we get home and you can hold on to her."

Abby must have taken her ring off after her husband was floated. She probably felt guilty about it. Still, I'm surprised she managed to keep the ring at all. Usually things like that would have been turned in and recycled, regardless of sentimental value.

I pull Emori and Raven into a tight hug, feeling more grateful for these two women than ever before. I couldn't have made it through these five years without them. They truly have become my greatest source of strength up here.

Looking around the room, I notice another change. On the walls, which were once completely devoid of decoration, they had taped up pictures. Pictures of Clarke throughout her life, but also drawings. Clarke's drawings. I walk over to the wall and lightly run my fingers over the pages, being careful not to smudge the intricate design of curves, lines, and shadows.

"You don't know how much this means to me, you guys. Thank you," I say. And I mean it, from the bottom of my heart. I receive hugs from Emori and Raven again as my friends file out of the room.

We've become our own little family up here, but I know that no matter what, my family will never be complete without my girls on the ground. I miss my little sister more than I can express. I've never been apart for her for this long. The longest we've been separated before was her year in lockup, and I was devastated. Clarke is just as much a part of me as Octavia is, and the blow from losing both of them in one fell swoop nearly killed me. Had it not been for my friends, I don't know if I would've made it through the past five years.

After everyone leaves, I decide to take a walk around the Ring for a while like I do most days. I enter the office nearest the Med Bay which once belonged to Abby, the Ark's chief doctor. There are little pieces of Clarke all over this office: drawings, photos, a note she wrote to her mom, markings on the wall that showed how tall she was each year of her childhood. I don't linger in this room for very long. Being in here only reminds me of the fact that Abby probably thinks Clarke is safe up here and she's not. Abby trusted me to keep her daughter safe and I failed.

It seems like destroying families is a skill of mine.

I destroyed my own by letting Octavia get caught. I got my baby sister locked up, and I got our mother floated.

I shot Jaha, and then I indirectly caused his son's death by encouraging Charlotte to slay her demons. She was only twelve and she misunderstood the intention behind my words, for which I feel responsible.

I killed that little boy's father, Lovejoy, in Mount Weather. And that was before I killed the entire population living inside the mountain, which included hundreds of families.

I killed an entire army of grounders which no doubt included both parents and children alike.

And now, I've let Abby down. For her sake as much as my own, I hope Clarke is alive. I can't stand the idea that I've lost her and, with her loss, destroyed another family.

I end my walk where I always do, in the Sky Box. I stop by Octavia's cell for a while, but ultimately, I spend most of my time in Clarke's cell. Now that the bed has been removed, the small room looks just a little bit bigger. Being in her cell, surrounded by all of her artwork, makes me feel closer to her in a way.

It's so cold in space. It makes me wish Clarke was here so I could hold her close, so we could keep each other warm. Of course, everything makes me wish Clarke was here. No matter what I'm thinking about, or what I'm doing, my thoughts always wander back to her.

Being back here, on the Ring, almost makes the time we spent on the ground feel like a dream. But I know it can't be a dream because if it was a dream, my heart wouldn't hurt so damn much. I know it's not a dream because if it was, I'd look into this cell and see a blonde head of hair stooped over the floor as she sketched out scenes of the ground.

I've spent the last five years trying to honor Clarke's last advice to me, when she admonished me to use my head as well as my heart. I told her I had her for that, but she knew I heard her and understood. I never could deny her anything. Whatever she needed, whatever she asked for, I gave it to her. And yet, I denied her love. I should've loved her while I had the chance. I should've told her. Maybe she wouldn't have returned my feelings for her, but at least I wouldn't have denied her the opportunity to be loved.

My mom would've loved Clarke. She would've loved how smart she is, how strong, how determined, and how passionate she is. She would've seen how good her heart was right from the start, and I'm sure she would've seen our feelings for each other before either of us would've. I miss my mother.

I miss my sister. My baby sister, whose safety I was charged with for the first sixteen years of her life. Being so far from her now, not being able to look out for her, is harder than I ever imagined. I know O is capable of looking out for herself, but after so many years of raising her under the floor, my mother's words are engrained in me, "Your sister, your responsibility."

I miss Clarke, the woman who holds my heart. I miss her hair, the way her ocean eyes sparkle when she laughs, the way her smile reaches her eyes, her playful touches, the feeling I get when I hold her in my arms, making love to her. I miss having Clarke and Octavia, the two most important people in my life, safely within arm's reach.

The truth is, though, that they're not here. The truth is that I don't know when I'll be able to hold either of them again.

The truth is, this ship is nothing more than a mausoleum now, a cage in which I am surrounded by the ghosts of all those I have lost.

 **Read and review!**

 **xoxo Kitty**


	13. Chapter 13

**Honestly, writing this was so hard just because I'm so eager to get to the reunion chapter. We have some very sweet family bonding in this chapter, though, so hopefully it'll help tide you guys over until we finally reach the reunion.**

 **CLARKE POV**

 **15 July 2155**

"So today is Madi's 11th birthday, and we've got big plans. She really wants to dye her hair today, so she and the twins are out picking the berries that we'll use as hair dye later. I haven't let the twins dye their hair yet, they're only four after all, but today is a special occasion so I'm going to let them join in on the fun.

"I'm happy. Well, as happy I can be without you. I love our kids, and we have a good life, but I'm not the same person without you. I haven't been myself for over five years. It's crazy, I only knew you for 200 days before Praimfaya and yet I feel like my heart has known you forever. You changed me. I never told you this, I didn't realize it myself until it was too late, but I was falling in love with you. I _am_ in love with you, Bellamy Blake, and I always will be.

"It's been safe for you to come home for three and a half months now. You're late, 107 days late. Why haven't you come home? I don't know if you can hear me and you just can't talk back or what's going on, but I have to talk to you or I'm going to go insane at the thought of losing you. If I have to call you every day for the rest of my life, I'll do that Bell. I'll do it for you. I have to tell you about what's happening in your babies' lives. Someday, maybe they'll call you too. If you can hear me, Bell, don't give up on us. We love you, and we're here waiting for you."

I try to hide it from the kids, but the truth is that I'm terrified that he's not coming home. I know him, and he would be here by now if he had any say in the matter. But he's not here, which means something is very, very wrong. Lately, my nightmares that plagued me the first few months after Praimfaya have returned to haunt me again. Nightmares that revolve around his death. I see his beautiful, olive skin turning an ashy white. I see the light leaving his eyes. I feel the man who once radiated love and warmth turning cold.

I find myself wondering if they even made it onto the Ring. I realigned the satellite, but did I get it done in time? Did I pull through for him, like he's done for me so many times before? I can't let myself linger on these thoughts. I have to stay strong for our kids.

"Mommy, mommy!" I hear my son's voice mere moments before I feel him crash into my arms, his sisters following close behind.

"Hi, my babies," I say smiling. "So, birthday girl, are you ready to do your hair?"

"Yes! Can we do mine first?"

"Of course we can, Madi, today is all about you." I ruffle her hair and she grins up at me, bouncing up and down eagerly.

Once the berries are ready and I've lit a fire, Madi sits by my feet as I put the berries on her hair. I feel someone tugging on my sleeve and I look down to see Aurora's big brown eyes looking back at me. Bellamy's eyes.

" _Nomi?_ " She asks.

"Yes, _strikon?_ "

"Will you tell us the stories?" She's always been such an inquisitive little girl. She loves to hear stories about her aunts and uncles, both in space and underground.

"How about you sit in front of Madi, and she can do your hair while I tell you the stories, okay?"

She nods obediently and settles in in front of her big sister, while Augustus joins me on the log I've been sitting on.

"Madi, since it's your birthday, how about you tell us who you want to hear about first?"

I know what her answer will be before the words leave her mouth, "Can we hear about Aunt Octavia first?" Octavia has always been her favorite.

"When your Aunt Octavia was a little girl, there was a rule that meant she wasn't supposed to be born, so your daddy had to keep her hidden to protect her. When we came down to the ground, it was the first time she got to explore the world and do things on her own. She had to go through a lot of hard things, but she became even stronger and even braver from it. She learned how to stand up for herself and fight for those she cared about. Your Aunt Octavia is a force to be reckoned with, and I know that she would go to the ends of the earth for you. As long as she's around, you'll always have someone to look out for you."

" _Tel ai op hashta_ Uncle Monty," Augustus pleads.

"Your Uncle Monty is very smart. He grew up with the farmers on the Ark, but he was so smart that the engineers wanted them to work for them, too. He's so smart that he learned how to build a new farm in the sky from scratch so he, your daddy, and the rest of your aunts and uncles have food to eat up there.

"Your Auntie Harper is strong, brave, and loving. She's one of the kindest people I know. She and Uncle Monty love each other very, very much.

"Your Uncle Murphy may seem tough, but he has a good heart. He has a soft side when it comes to the people he cares about. He's also very funny. You're going love him.

"Your Aunt Emori is a survivor. She is a _frikdreina,_ so she grew up outside of the clans with only her brother to help her. She's smart, though, and she always did what she needed to survive. One of her hands doesn't look like your hands, and that's why her people didn't want her, but that's what makes her so special. Just because she doesn't look like you or me doesn't mean that she should be treated any differently, but her people didn't see it like that. Luckily, she found us, and now she has a new clan. I didn't get to know her or your Aunt Echo very well before they went to _audaskai_ , but they are both very strong and intelligent women.

"Your Aunt Raven, now, she is the strongest, coolest woman I know. She's so smart and incredibly innovative, she can do anything she puts her mind to. If you ever need help and your dad and I aren't there, pick Aunt Raven first," I smile as I recall when I told her I'd pick her first what seems like a lifetime ago. I finish with Madi's hair as I'm caught up in my thoughts again. I miss my friends terribly. Shortly after I stop talking, another little voice interrupts me.

"Mommy?" Aurora turns to look at me, with a streak of smudged berries on her cheek. "Will you tell us about daddy?"

"Your father is a fighter. He's a leader, he always does what's right for his people, especially for the people that he loves. He always protects his family. He has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known. He loves you all so much, and I know he can't wait to meet you."

"Is he coming home soon?" Augustus wonders.

It's moments like these where it hits me the hardest. The realization that he hasn't gotten to meet his babies who already love him so much. The realization that I have no way of knowing if or when he'll come home. How am I supposed to tell them that their dad is coming home 'soon' when I don't even know if he's alive?

"He's coming home as soon as he can, I promise."

I look to my youngest children, whose eyelids have become heavy in the firelight. I motion for Madi to stay put while I take the twins to bed. When I return to the fire, I find Madi with tears streaming down her face.

"Madi, honey, what's wrong?" I immediately rush over to her and take her in my arms, pulling her head to my chest.

"What if he doesn't love me?" She doesn't need to say his name for me to know who she's talking about, it's not the first time we've had this conversation. I know she misses her dad a lot, and now that Bellamy is supposed to be coming home, she's worried that he will love the twins but not her. I always tell her that love makes a family, not blood, but I know that it can be hard to understand that when you can't see it for yourself.

" _Sofon, beja. Sen ai op,"_ I turn her chin upwards, so her blue eyes are looking into mine. "Bellamy will love you so much. He is going to be so proud of you for everything you've done these past five years. You survived Praimfaya on your own for two months before we found each other. You helped deliver your brother and sister. You've helped raise them, love them, and protect them, just like he did with Aunt Octavia. You're more like him than you realize. He may not be your father by blood, but I see so much of him in you. _Yu laik goufa kom Bellamy en ai,_ just as much as the twins are. I love you so much, and he will love you just the same. _Ste yuj, strikon, nou get yu daun._ "

"I love you mom," she whispers to me. For a while, she didn't understand how she fit into our family. She was so young, and she struggled with allowing herself to be accepted. Now, even after five years, I still feel incredibly special when she calls me 'mom.'

"I love you too, Madi," I kiss her on her forehead. " _Feva en otaim._ _Reshop, ai yongon._ "

I watch her disappear inside our cabin before I look upwards, whispering a prayer to the sky.

"Please come home, Bellamy. I need you. Please come home."

 **Read and review!**

 **xoxo Kitty**

 **Trigedasleng Translations (Line by line)**

 _ **Mommy**_

 _ **Little one**_

 _ **Tell me about...**_

 _ **Someone born with a deformation of some kind.**_

 _ **Outer space**_

 _ **Baby, please. Listen to me.**_

 _ **You are Bellamy's and my child.**_

 _ **Stay strong, little one. Don't worry.**_

 _ **Forever and always. Goodnight, my child.**_


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm so so sorry it's taken me this long to update! Granted, it's only been six days, but I think that might actually be the longest I've gone without updating this story since I started posting it. Anyway, this is the last chapter before the long-awaited Bellarke reunion! Please bear with me if it takes me a few days to update again, I'm really focusing on getting these chapters as perfect as I can for you guys.**

 **BELLAMY POV**

 **30 September 2155**

"It's been six months since we were supposed to come home. I need to go home. I need to hold my baby sister in my arms again. I need to hold you in my arms again. If you were here, you'd know how to handle this, how to boost morale. I know you wouldn't want me to lost hope, but I'm just not the same without you. It's like I've stopped seeing color. I've gone numb. 2,010 days later and I still don't feel anything other than the pain of losing you.

"Raven, Monty, and Emori are working nonstop trying to figure out a solution that will bring us home safely. I've been trying to hold myself together because I know the last thing everyone needs is for me to fall apart again, but it's so hard. Clarke, if you're down there then you have to keep going. If not for you, then for me," I sigh, placing my hand to the cold glass window. "Looking to you, princess. Always looking to you."

I hear a door slam and turn to see Monty walking angrily down the hallway. I don't know what he's upset about, but it takes a lot to make Monty this angry. Whatever it is that upset him like this can't be good. Instead of walking past me, he walks up to me and pushes his index finger into my chest.

"Monty, what—?"

"You're a damn idiot, Blake," he seethes. "It's been six years of this every single day. Enough is enough. Clarke is dead. It's not our fault that you didn't admit your feelings for her when she was alive, so stop torturing us with these daily self-pity sessions. You missed your chance with her. We're not going back down there any time soon. Move. On."

"Uh, guys?"

" _ **What**_ Raven?" Lashing out like this is so uncharacteristic of Monty that it's a major cause of concern, both for me and for Raven. Her concern for our friend is written all over her face.

"I hate to interrupt your little catfight here, but you're going to want to see this," she says and walks off before either of us get the chance to argue, knowing us well enough to know that we'll follow right behind her.

Raven leads us to a window on the opposite side of the Ring, where the rest of our friends are waiting. She doesn't speak again, only hits button to raise the window shade. As it raises, it reveals a massive spaceship not too far from the Ring. The side of the ship reads: Eligius IV.

"What the hell is that?" I ask.

"That, my friends, is our way home."

 **RAVEN POV**

 **Later**

We split up into three groups to check the ship for any signs of trouble, figuring it to be more efficient considering the size of it. Murphy and I walk hand and hand through the halls of the Eligius ship and find ourselves in a vast corridor, with large pods lining the walls. They have a frosted appearance, and they're cold to the touch.

"Where are we? And what are these?" Murphy asks, confused at the sight.

"I've read about this. These are cryosleep chambers. The people inside of them are essentially frozen, they don't age, they don't need food or water. They just sleep. In theory, they could live like this forever, so who knows how long they've been in here. We have to find the control center, figure out who these people are, what we're dealing with."

"Let's get to it then," he says, nodding his head to encourage me to move ahead.

Not far from the cryosleep chambers, we find the control center. It takes me a few minutes to crack the computer codes, but when I do, I immediately view the profiles of the residents of this ship and feel my heart sink,

"You mean to tell me that all 300 people on this ship are—" Murphy starts, having read the files over my shoulder, but I interrupt him.

"Prisoners, yeah." My mind is reeling. I'm strategizing what to do with the prisoners who we're stuck on this ship with when I hear a faint voice from the other side of the room.

"Bellamy, if you can hear this, it's been 2,010 days since Praimfaya. I don't know why I do this every day, maybe it's my way of staying sane." I know that voice.

"Clarke?" Murphy asks.

"She did it," I whisper. "John, she did it!" I stand and wrap him in a huge hug, tears of joy streaming down my face. My best friend is alive.

"Anyway," Clarke continues, "the kids and I are having a lazy day today. I'm sure they'll ask to hear the stories about you and the others again. Madi will want to hear about her Aunt Octavia, as always. I can't wait for them to meet each other. The twins ask me every day when they get to see their dad."

"Wait, what did she just say?" I shush him, not wanting to miss another word of Clarke's message.

"I can't wait for you to meet them, Bell. They both look more and more like you every day. The only reason you'd be able to tell that they're mine is because Augustus has my eyes. Other than that, they're the spitting images of their father. I don't know what's keeping you up there, but whatever it is, I hope you find your way home soon. We'll be waiting for you."

We share a moment of silence, neither of us sure how to break it after hearing the voice of the woman who saved our lives, the woman we thought was dead.

"Wait, so I listened to Bellamy's 'Clarke didn't die for this' guilt trips and his stupid motivational speeches about her death not being in vain every day, for 2,010 days for nothing? She's been alive this entire time?"

"Not the point, John, but yes. I can't believe that she has kids. They have kids. I didn't even know they—"

"Yeah. I didn't tell you before, but I kind of walked in on them after they, you know, finished. It was right before we left the lab. But I'm confused, why couldn't we hear her before? It didn't sound like she could hear us, either."

"Laser com," I answer. "The tech on this ship is more advanced than it is on the Ring. Our communications system just wasn't enough to cut through the radiation and make contact with us. But she's been calling us, or rather, she's been calling Bellamy, every day for the past five and a half years."

We're still in each other's arms, ecstatic with the new knowledge that against all odds, Clarke Griffin is alive. Through the joy, a thought takes root in my mind: We have to go home.

"Raven? What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" We've been together for almost five years, yet he still manages to make me blush.

"I'm thinking that there are two people in this world that Bellamy would sacrifice his own life for: his sister and Clarke Griffin. We just found out that not only is Clarke alive, but he has kids down there, too. He has a family who needs him. We're going home."

"I'm with you, but there's one small problem."

"The prisoners," I say, practically reading his mind. We tend to do that a lot, finish each other's thoughts. It may seem cliché, but it's comforting to have someone who understands me on such a fundamental level. I haven't had that since Finn died. "There are children on the ground, young children, who have been living in complete isolation for their entire lives. We can't bring 300 prisoners to the ground with us, we can't subject them to that. We can't risk it After all of the heartache Bellamy's gone through in the last five years, leaving his sister, losing and grieving Clarke, he doesn't need to lose his family as soon as he gets them back."

"So, we float them."

"John, no. How are we supposed to wake 300 people from cryosleep and float them without the others noticing? Besides, when they wake up, they'll fight back. There's no way they're going to just let us float them."

"Isn't there some way we could cut off the oxygen supply to their cryosleep chambers? Kill them before they get the chance to wake up and fight back? It's not like they'll ever know what happened, it's like they're dying in their sleep."

"That's not a bad idea. It's more humane than floating them while they're still alive, and this way they won't be a threat on the ground. But, John, we're talking about 300 lives here."

"We're also talking about a family here. Bellamy's family. Our family," I'm taken aback by how thoughtful he's being. I've seen this side of him, but I've never heard him speak so passionately about anyone else's needs before. "You know this is our only choice. We can't trust these people, and they pose a huge threat to those kids down there. I think that, given the circumstances, Bellamy will understand."

"We can't tell Bellamy, John. Not about the prisoners, and definitely not about Clarke or the kids. After everything she has done for us, after everything she's sacrificed, the least we can do to repay her is to let her be the one to tell Bellamy about their children. It's her news to tell him. We have to do this ourselves. We're going to tell Bellamy we're going home because we finally have a ship that can take us home safely and leave it at that. As far as he's concerned, everything is perfectly fine."

"Isn't that how things always go around here? We tell Clarke and Bellamy we're fine and then we do something reckless anyway?"

I laugh, but then another thought crosses my mind. A thought that chills me to the bone, and John notices the immediate shift in my demeanor.

"What's wrong babe?"

Damn him and his sweet talk. He never fails to make me weak in the knees when he says things like that. Something that almost no one else knows about John Murphy is that he's a genuinely sweet person when you get close to him. Beneath his snarky, hard exterior is a person who cares so much about the people he loves. I'm blessed to be one of those people.

"I don't know if I can do it, John. Pull the plug," I say. We've had five and a half years of peace, and I don't know if I'm prepared to go back to dealing with bloodshed. Can I really handle the blood of 300 people on my hands? I realize now how difficult that same burden must be for Bellamy and Clarke to bear.

"I'll do it," he says without putting a second of thought into the decision. "You shouldn't have to be the one to sacrifice all the time. I'll do it."

For the first time in a long time, I find myself speechless. I look at him, the man I love, realizing just how much he's changed during the time we've been together.

John Murphy, the cockroach, the man who has a history of always taking the easy way out, is making the hard decision this time. He's sacrificing not only for me, but for Bellamy, Clarke, and their family. My emotions overcome me as I close the difference between us and press my lips to his.

He takes me in his arms and holds tightly to me, as if I might float away at any moment, kissing me deeply and passionately. We break apart and he whispers, "I love you so much." I feel a few tears of joy fall from my eyes as I return the sentiment, taking a moment to just embrace him and embrace how loved he makes me feel before we have to face the fate of the prisoners, and face the responsibility of telling the others about what Clarke unknowingly told us over the radio.

* * *

A few hours later, after John cut off the oxygen supply from the cryosleep chambers, painstakingly took each prisoner to the airlock and floated them, we prepared to tell the others the news we discovered earlier today. Once all of our friends, save for Bellamy, have gathered in the control center, I begin what I know is about to be a very hectic conversation.

"I figured out a way for us to get home. We leave at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning, we'll be home by noon. But guys, there's something you need to know," I pause, taking in the concerned look on each of their faces. "Clarke's alive."

"Clarke's—" Monty starts, but he trails off before he can finish his sentence, clearly shocked by the news. It's understandable. Finding out your friend is alive after thinking she was dead for five and a half years tends to have that effect on people.

"She's alive, yes. But there's more."

"What more could there possibly be? Is that not enough earth-shattering news for one day?" Emori is practically bursting with anticipation. After all, patience never has been her strong suit.

"Calm down for a second, Em," I say gently to the woman who has become my best friend. "Save your freak out for after I tell you the next part."

I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the reaction I know this next revelation will evoke. John places his hand on the small of my back, gently pulling me closer to him and giving me the strength to speak again.

"Guys, Clarke isn't alone down there. She had kids. Bellamy's kids."

My revelation is met with a cacophony of voices as everyone starts talking at once.

"Clarke had a kid?" Harper asks, trying to remain calm in the midst of all this chaos. "Why couldn't we hear her?"

"Wait, you said kids, plural. How is this possible?" Monty, who is typically the picture of calm, is clearly panicking.

"Well, you see, when a man and a woman love each other very much—"

"Shut up, Murphy," Monty snaps. He's usually the most logical and rational one out of all of us, but the situation we've wound up in isn't very logical at all.

"Why isn't Bellamy here? We have to tell Bellamy," Emori speaks with a sense of urgency. She and Bellamy have gotten very close since Echo's death. Their relationship is slightly reminiscent of his relationship with Octavia. He looks out for her, he supports her, and he comforts her. Naturally, she wants to look out for him, too.

"Em, hold on. We can't tell Bellamy about Clarke, and we especially can't tell Bellamy about the kids. Clarke deserves to be the one to tell him. She's waited five and a half years to talk to him. When we heard her on the radio, she said she's been calling every day. I thought the reason we couldn't hear her before had to do with radiation, but really, we just needed a better communications system. This ship has laser communications, that's why we could hear her today when we couldn't hear her for the past few years."

"Maybe he really did hear Clarke that day," Monty muses. We all know what day he's talking about. That was the only time Bellamy thought he heard Clarke. It was the only time he had a glimmer of hope to hold on to and we were all so quick to snuff out the flame.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Monty," Harper says, placing a hand on her boyfriend's arm. "There's no way any of us could've known."

"But he did," Emori whispers just loud enough for us to hear it. "Bellamy knew she was alive, and we didn't believe him. I can't believe it. He's so in love with her that he could genuinely feel that she was alive."

"Wait, guys, do you realize what tomorrow is?" John asks, with a smug smirk on his face. "October 1st. Unity Day is about to have a whole new meaning for the Blake family."

 **Read and review!**

 **xoxo Kitty**


	15. Chapter 15

**BELLAMY POV**

 **1 October 2155**

When Raven came to me last night to tell me that we were going home, I almost didn't believe her. For five years, going home is the only thing I've had to look forward to. For the past six months, it's felt as if it was some untouchable fantasy, always just barely out of my reach. But here we are, having just landed on Earth, and I have no words to describe the myriad of emotions flowing within me right now.

"Bellamy, would you like to do the honors?" Raven asks, motioning to the lever that will open the doors to the planet we call home.

A feeling of déjà vu hits me hard, and suddenly I can't breathe. Six years ago, I was going to open the dropship door when a know-it-all princess told me to stop.

" _The air could be toxic," she said._

" _If the air's toxic, we're all dead anyway," I retorted._

That's where it all started, Clarke's and my thing with closing the door on each other, with me opening that dropship door. She closed the dropship door on me during our battle with the grounders in order to save our people, the 100. Not too long after that, I closed the rocket door on her in order to save myself and our friends. And now I stand, preparing to open the door to the Eligius ship. Albeit, it's not the same door I opened years ago, but it feels all too familiar. Only this time, I'm opening the door to a world without Clarke Griffin in it.

"Come on, Blake, we're not getting any younger," Raven speaks again, shaking me from my thoughts. I steel myself as I reach for the lever and pull, opening the door.

For a few moments, no one moves or speaks. We stare into the trees as we take our first breath of fresh air since Praimfaya. Finally, Murphy is the first one to step foot on the ground.

"We're back, bitches!" He hollers, mimicking what my sister said in our first moments on this planet what seems like a lifetime ago. We slowly make our way out into the sunlight, reveling in the indescribable feeling of the sun's warm rays on our faces. The only way this moment could feel any better is if Clarke was here with me.

Suddenly, I hear rustling of leaves from the trees to my left and I turn my head just in time to see a figure rushing towards me. The child stops just a few feet away from me and she looks up at me completely mystified.

"Dad?" She asks in a dazed voice. "Mom knew you guys would come!" She launches herself into my arms before I get a second to process her words.

 _Dad. Mom._

"Look, kid, no offense, but who are you?" Murphy asks abruptly.

She pulls herself out of my arms and looks to everyone else standing around us before speaking again.

"Oh, right, sorry. I haven't met anyone since I was five, so this is pretty new to me. I'm Madi. And you guys are…" she pauses briefly, as if deciding where to start. "Murphy, the funny one. Raven, the strongest, coolest person ever. Monty, the smart one. Harper, the loving one. Emori, the survivor. And Bellamy, fighter, leader, protector. Someone's missing, though. Where's Echo?"

Everyone is too stunned to speak, seeing as she just named and described us all with complete accuracy.

"I'm sorry, Madi," Harper breaks the silence, "I think we're all just a bit confused here. How are you alive? And how do you know our names?"

"And you called me Dad…" I trail off, leaving the question open-ended. I still can't think straight. _Dad._

"Impressive intel, I know, but I've been getting to know you guys since I was five. I'm Clarke's daughter. She found me about two months after Praimfaya, we've been together ever since. And—"

"Clarke's alive?" I cut her off.

"Yes, she's alive. I'm surprised you didn't know, she's been calling you on the radio every day for five and a half years. I can take you to her, but I'm going to need you to give me a head start. And maybe you should come alone first. The others can follow a bit later. Is that okay with everyone?"

I barely register everyone else's responses as I nod my head. My mind has gone numb and I have only one thought: Clarke.

"Good. I need you to give me a ten-minute lead, and then you can follow me to the village. It's a straight shot from here, you can't miss it."

After that, she runs off through the trees again and I wait until she's completely out of sight before I take my eyes off of her.

My friends talk amongst themselves, but all I can think about are Madi's words: _Mom. Dad. I'm Clarke's daughter. She's alive. Mom. Dad._

 _Dad._ Why would she call me that? Unless… Clarke. But the only reason she'd be calling me Dad instead of my name is if Clarke told her about us, about the way we were before we were separated by Praimfaya. She called me on the radio every day for the 2,011 days we were apart. This whole time, I've been wondering if she felt the same for me as I do for her and without even knowing, Madi gave me all the confirmation I need.

I'm practically holding my breath as I pace outside the doors to the ship waiting for the ten minutes I promised Madi to be up, and as soon as they are, I take off running through the woods.

I run as fast as I can and within minutes, I find myself standing at the edge of a clearing that holds a few small cabins, hammocks, and trees hung with decorative pieces of fabric. All in all, it looks homey. My eyes search the area until they land on a familiar head of blonde hair, and as soon as I lay eyes on her, any sense of composure I was holding on to went out the window.

She sits across the clearing with her back to me, seated in a chair next to a satellite, holding a radio in her hand. I walk about halfway across the clearing before I say, "Hey, princess."

Her head whips around so fast at the sound of my voice, and for the first time in five and a half years, I look into the eyes of the woman I love.

"Bellamy?" It's as if the entire world stills for a second when my name leaves her lips, but then it's moving again as she runs towards me at full speed.

She launches herself into my arms and, unlike the first time she hugged me so many years ago, I don't falter. This time, I'm ready. I welcome her into my arms as I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. As I lift her off her feet and twirl her around, I know for certain that I've never been happier than I am in this moment.

The last time we hugged each other, it was full of fear and sadness. This time, it's a hug full of relief and joy. It's the first time we've touched since we said goodbye five and a half years ago, yet she relaxes into my embrace like it's the most natural thing in the world. Like we didn't just spend years apart, separated by an entire galaxy.

I feel her start to sob within my embrace and I pull away from her to get a better look at her face. Even though I'm holding her by her shoulders, her sobs bring her to her knees and I'm barely quick enough to position myself under her to catch her fall. I hold her in my lap, and she buries her face in my chest as her sobs subside.

"It's okay princess, I'm here," I whisper into her hair soothingly. "I'm never letting you go again."

We pull apart, finally taking a moment to really look at each other. I take her hand and lead it up to my cheek, hoping it will help anchor her, help convince her that I'm really here. As I look into her eyes, which are even bluer than I remember them being, I can't hold myself back anymore. I press my lips to hers, gently at first, but our kiss only grows deeper as we soak in the reality that we're together again.

We kiss for what seems like forever, but eventually I'm the one to pull away. I push a strand of her hair, which is now cut to a bob, behind her ear and study her face. How is it possible that she's gotten even more beautiful?

"Bellamy," she blushes, and I realize I had spoken the question aloud. "You came."

"I'm here," I assure her.

"You're real. You're home," she whispers, still in shock.

"I'm home, princess. I'm so sorry, Clarke. I left you behind to die," I shudder as I finally issue the apology I've been waiting five and a half years to get off my chest.

"You don't need to apologize. You used your head, just like I told you to. I'm proud of you, Bell." No one but Octavia ever calls me Bell, but hearing the name come from Clarke's lips, it just feels right.

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone," I say, in spite of the fact that she just told me not to apologize.

"I wasn't alone."

"Right, you had Madi," I had forgotten about the little girl who lead me to Clarke. She looks at me, confused, and I realize that she doesn't know I met Madi. "I ran into her right after we landed, she's the one who brought me to you. So, while I've been in space, you left me 2,011 voicemails and adopted a kid. You've certainly kept yourself busy, princess."

"Actually, Bell, there's more," she looks down, clearly nervous about what she has to say next. Seeing her so nervous makes me nervous, so I place my hand over hers and give her a look of encouragement.

"Whatever it is, princess, you can tell me."

"Well, you remember how we… in the lab, we… before Praimfaya, we—" she stutters. It's cute seeing her so nervous to say the words we both know she's trying to say.

"We had sex, princess. Of course I remember, that memory has kept me going for the past five years. It's the best memory I have of this planet." She's still in my lap on the ground, but we've pulled apart slightly so we can see each other's faces, so I can see the furious blush creeping up her neck.

"I got pregnant, Bell," she whispers, seemingly ashamed by the confession. She finally raises her eyes to meet my gaze.

"Oh, Clarke," I sigh. I pull her closer now, though, knowing that we each need the other for support. "Did you—?"

"I had the baby. Actually, babies. We have twins, Bell, and they're the most amazing little kids."

"Twins… we have twins?" I ask, knowing the answer, but still not fully capable of processing the information.

"A boy, Augustus Lincoln, and a girl, Aurora Abigail. They were born on December 1, 2150, perfectly healthy. They look just like you."

Those names. Our daughter is named after my mother, and hers, and our son's name comes from a story I didn't realize she remembered. One night I was telling her about raising Octavia and I told her how I named her for the sister of the first Roman emperor, Augustus. The fact that she not only remembered the story but was thoughtful enough to name our son in honor of it blows me away.

"And Madi?"

"She's 11 now, I found her two months after Praimfaya when she was five. She's a Nightblood, just like me. She's an amazing big sister, she helped me deliver the twins. She reminds me a lot of you and the way you take care of Octavia, actually. The twins are crazy about her, and they know all about you, Bell. I drew portraits of you and all the others, so they know your faces and I've been telling them stories about all of you for their whole lives. They've been looking forward to meeting you."

"Can I? Meet them, I mean. I'd like to meet them," I say eagerly, hoping she'll say yes.

"Of course, Bell, they're your babies. I just didn't want to spring them on you right away in case you felt like you needed time to process or something."

"I've already lost almost five years with them, princess, I don't want to miss another second."

She smiles at me, relieved by my response. I pick her up, cradling her in my arms as I stand up. I kiss her on her forehead before I set her down, and in turn, she kisses me on the lips again.

"Princess?" I ask, reaching for her hand as she turns to walk away.

"What's wrong?"

"There's something I need to tell you," I start, but she immediately takes it the wrong way.

"Oh… did you move on? It's okay if you did, it's been over five years. After all, we weren't technically together before Praimfaya, so you didn't need to wait for me or anything. What we did meant a lot to me, so I just thought—" She's rambling, which she tends to do when she gets nervous.

Instead of responding, I plant another kiss on her lips to silence her.

"I haven't been with anyone since you. How could I move on when I still had hope you were alive? I've been dreaming of this moment for five and a half years."

"You dreamed of me?

"Every damned day."

"Wait, how did you know about the radio calls?" She asks, just coming to understand my comment about the 'voicemails' she left me.

"Madi told me. I'm so sorry I didn't hear you. I guess you didn't hear me either, because I called you every day too."

"Oh, Bellamy," she whispers, overwhelmed again, and she leans in to kiss me. This kiss is soft and sweet, not as passionate as the one we shared a few moments ago but equally as meaningful. When I pull away, I look her in the eyes, and whisper the words I've been longing to tell her all these years.

"I love you, Clarke. I always have. My biggest regret is that I didn't tell you I loved you soon enough."

With my words, she's kissing me again. We get carried away in each other, not caring about the fact that our friends could walk in on our little make out session at any moment. She's the one to pull away this time, and when I look at her again, she's beaming at me through her tears.

"I love you too, Bellamy Blake. Now what do you say we go see our babies?"

"I think that's a great idea," I say, kissing her on the forehead again before I place my hand in hers. "Where are they?"

"Madi came running up to me a little bit before you got here begging me to let her take them to the river while I called you," she motions to the radio and a look of realization crosses her face. "That sneaky little girl. She took them to the river so we could be alone."

"I guess I should thank her for that, because I wouldn't have wanted this moment any other way. I think we deserved a little alone time after being apart for so long. And later tonight, I'll show you just how much I missed you, but right now I've got kids to meet."

She blushes again at my innuendo, and I realize I'd forgotten how easily I could make her blush. She leads me through the trees and after a short walk, we reach the river. It's amazing that she was able to find this place. It's clear to me that she and the kids have had everything they need to survive here, shelter, water, and plenty of fish and berries.

Clarke turns to me and places a single finger to her lip, indicating that she wants me to be quiet. I look at her curiously, and she points down the small hill to the river, where I see them. My children. Our children. I feel pride rising in my chest as I glance from the kids to Clarke. Her resilience is astounding. She had twins and raised these children by herself for five years. I place a kiss in her hair before she moves again, this time advancing towards the kids.

"Hi, my babies," she says gently. Madi, who already knows what's going on, turns the twins' attention in our direction.

"Daddy!" They both shout as they rush towards me as fast as their little legs can carry them. I kneel down to catch them both in my open arms. They hit me at full force, knocking the breath out of me, but I'm too happy to care about that. Madi follows behind them and she hugs me from behind. I look up through teary eyes to see Clarke standing above us, so I reach out to her and she joins us on the ground.

It takes everything in me not to start weeping, but I refuse to let that be the first real memory my children have of me. Instead, I take the twins and I put them a little bit in front of me so I can get a good look at them. Clarke was right, they look like me. Aurora looks so much like Octavia did when she was little, it's uncanny. Augustus, too, though his blue eyes are a dead giveaway that he's Clarke's child.

Despite their resemblance to me, I see so much of Clarke in them. They have her round face shape, and the little dimple in her chin is evident in theirs as well. They have her smile, too. I can already tell that they'll have me wrapped around their little fingers in no time.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you guys," I say, pulling them back into my embrace and kissing them on their foreheads.

"I wanna show you my room Daddy!" Augustus says eagerly.

"Me too! I wanna show you my drawings!"

"And Mommy's drawings!"

"Yeah! And—"

"Alright, settle down you two," Clarke cuts Aurora off, laughing. "We should probably let Daddy get settled in before we ambush him."

"It's okay, Clarke. I want them to show me everything."

"Let's go!" Aurora shouts, tugging at my arm. Augustus takes off running, Madi at his heels, but Aurora looks up with me and asks, "Daddy? Will you carry me?"

"Of course, sweetie," I answer. How could I say no to those big brown doe eyes? They're identical to Octavia's, and I could never say no to her either. Giving Aurora a piggyback ride through the forest reminds me of all the times I gave Octavia piggybacks around our room on the Ark. There, we pretended to go through the forest, but here we have the real thing.

We make it back to the clearing just after Madi and Augustus do. They each take turns showing me their beds, their hammocks, their toys. Aurora takes pride in showing me her drawings, which are about as good as you can expect from a four-year-old. She clearly takes after her mother. Until I saw her cell in the Sky Box, I'd never gotten to see her drawings. Now, Augustus is shoving them in my face.

I take the pieces of paper in my hands, falling silent. She drew every one of the 100. She drew Raven, Luna, Emori, and Echo. Her mom, Kane, and Jaha made appearances, too. She drew Lexa, and my heart aches for Clarke's loss all over again. I know she loved her, and I know the pain that must have gone into this portrait. She did an incredible job of capturing a softer side of Lexa, one which I'm sure only Clarke got to witness.

Finally, Augustus hands me her portraits of me before he runs outside to find his sisters. I sit in a stunned silence, struggling to take them all in. She drew me outside of the dropship, talking to the 100. She drew me with her in her arms after she returned from Mount Weather. She drew me sleeping on a couch, which I assume is a memory of hers from the time she made the list of 100 of our people who would survive Praimfaya. She drew me driving the rover, smiling. The last portrait, however, is my favorite. She drew me in Becca's lab after we slept together. It's clear that I'm looking at her in this portrait just judging by the softness of my gaze. It hits me then that maybe she loved me all along, too. Maybe she realized it later than I did, but it's apparent in the way that she drew me in such detail. She loves me.

The intensity of the day hits me all at once.

I'm home. I have children. They're alive, healthy, happy, and safe. And Clarke is alive.

Clarke Griffin is alive, and she loves me.

 **Read and review!**

 **xoxo Kitty**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's the reunion from Clarke's POV! Sorry this one took a while, midterms are coming up so school is a bit crazy. Enjoy!**

 **CLARKE POV**

 **1 October 2155**

When I wake up, the twins are already awake and playing with each other outside. Madi, however, isn't outside with them. As if she sensed that I was awake, she comes running through the trees just as I begin to worry.

"Mom, can I take the twins to the river while you call dad? Please, please, please?"

She's practically bouncing up and down, and it's hard to say no to her when she's this excited, so I agree to let them go. I set up the satellite and sit in a chair with the radio, and I take a deep breath. The second before I speak, I hear a voice come from behind me.

"Hey Princess"

I turn my attention toward the voice that I haven't heard in so long, the nickname I haven't heard in so long. I'm convinced I'm hallucinating until, suddenly, my world turns upside down as I turn around to see—

"Bellamy?"

He's here. Bellamy. My Bellamy.

As soon as his name leaves my lips, I take off running towards him. I jump into his arms and this time he's ready to catch me, not like all those years ago outside of camp when he's staggered backwards. He picks me up and spins me around, and I feel like I'm taking my first breath of air after spending five and a half years underwater. This moment feels like a dream, it's too good to be true.

I begin to sob, and I fall to my knees, completely overwhelmed by his presence. But this time, unlike when I found out I was pregnant, he's there to catch me. I sob into his shoulder as he whispers to me, "It's okay princess, I'm here. I'm never letting you go again."

When we finally part from each other, I can't look anywhere but his eyes. His eyes, his beautiful, deep brown eyes that I've missed so much. My breath catches in my throat and as a new wave of tears reaches my eyes. He takes my hand and places it gently on his cheek, an action far too gentle for the Bellamy Blake I once knew, allowing me to soak in the fact that he's really here. Only moments after he does, he places a sweet kiss on my lips. We start out slowly, but our kiss deepens as our mouths grow reacquainted with each other.

He pulls away from me, pushes my hair behind my ear, and says, "How is it possible that she's gotten even more beautiful?"

"Bellamy," I say as I feel a blush begin to creep up my skin. "You came."

"I'm here."

"You're real. You're home."

"I'm home, princess. I'm so sorry, Clarke. I left you behind to die," he says.

"You don't need to apologize. You used your head, just like I told you to. I'm proud of you, Bell."

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone."

"I wasn't alone," I start, trying to find a way to gently tell him that he's a father.

"Right, you had Madi," he says, catching me off guard. He's given no indication that he heard my radio calls, so how on Earth does he know about Madi? "I ran into her right after we landed, she's the one who brought me to you. So, while I've been in space, you left me 2,011 voicemails and adopted a kid. You've certainly kept yourself busy, princess."

"Actually, Bell, there's more," my heart is racing and I'm getting more nervous with every passing second, but Bellamy covers my hand with his and looks at me sweetly.

"Whatever it is, princess, you can tell me."

"Well, you remember how we… in the lab, we… before Praimfaya, we—" I can't get the words out. I've never been ashamed of sleeping with him, in fact, it's quite the opposite. Sleeping with him is one of the best decisions I've ever made, but after five and a half years of not knowing if he feels the same way, it's hard to approach the subject.

"We had sex, princess. Of course I remember, that memory has kept me going for the past five years. It's the best memory I have of this planet."

"I got pregnant, Bell," I whisper, barely audible, as I raise my eyes to meet his.

"Oh, Clarke. Did you—?"

"I had the baby. Actually, babies. We have twins, Bell, and they're the most amazing little kids."

"Twins… we have twins?" I know he's not really asking the question, he's only trying to come to terms with the news. I understand the feeling, it took me plenty of time to adjust.

"A boy, Augustus Lincoln, and a girl, Aurora Abigail. They were born on December 1, 2150, perfectly healthy. They look just like you."

I can see the realization cross his face when it dawns on him what their names were inspired by, and I feel like I did right by him. Even after all these years, I still seek his approval just as much as I did during our time together on the ground.

"And Madi?"

"She's 11 now, I found her two months after Praimfaya when she was five. She's a Nightblood, just like me. She's an amazing big sister, she helped me deliver the twins. She reminds me a lot of you and the way you take care of Octavia, actually. The twins are crazy about her, and they know all about you, Bell. I drew portraits of you and all the others, so they know your faces and I've been telling them stories about all of you for their whole lives. They've been looking forward to meeting you."

"Can I? Meet them, I mean. I'd like to meet them," the eagerness in his voice fills me with joy.

"Of course, Bell, they're your babies. I just didn't want to spring them on you right away in case you felt like you needed time to process or something."

"I've already lost almost five years with them, princess, I don't want to miss another second."

He stands, still holding me in his arms, and kisses me on the forehead. I return the gesture with a kiss on his lips and I turn away to lead him toward the river, only to be stopped by him grabbing my hand.

"Princess?"

"What's wrong?"

"There's something I need to tell you."

"Oh… did you move on? It's okay if you did, it's been over five years. After all, we weren't technically together before Praimfaya, so you didn't need to wait for me or anything. What we did meant a lot to me, so I just thought—" I know I'm rambling, but I can't stop myself. Thankfully, Bellamy does it for me by kissing me sweetly.

"I haven't been with anyone since you. How could I move on when I still had hope you were alive? I've been dreaming of this moment for five and a half years."

"You dreamed of me?

"Every damned day."

"Wait, how did you know about the radio calls?"

"Madi told me. I'm so sorry I didn't hear you. I guess you didn't hear me either, because I called you every day too."

"Oh, Bellamy," I kiss him gently, overwhelmed by his revelation.

"I love you, Clarke. I always have. My biggest regret is that I didn't tell you I loved you soon enough."

I can't help but kiss him again, and we get a bit carried away. Bellamy Blake just told me that he loves me. It's almost too good to be true. I pull back, taking another look at him through tear filled eyes.

"I love you too, Bellamy Blake. Now what do you say we go see our babies?"

"I think that's a great idea. Where are they?"

"Madi came running up to me a little bit before you got here begging me to let her take them to the river while I called you." Suddenly it dawns on me why she was so eager to take them to the river this morning. "That sneaky little girl. She took them to the river so we could be alone."

"I guess I should thank her for that, because I wouldn't have wanted this moment any other way. I think we deserved a little alone time after being apart for so long. And later tonight, I'll show you just how much I missed you, but right now I've got kids to meet."

I blush furiously but make no effort to deny his suggestion for how we should spend our first night back together. Instead, I take his hand and walk towards the river. When we reach the top of the hill above the river, I put a finger to my lips before pointing down the hill to where our children are playing. He kisses the top of my head, and I walk ahead of him towards the kids.

"Hi, my babies," I call out, trying to draw their attention in our direction. Madi points the twins toward Bellamy and I and their eyes light up the second they lay eyes on him.

"Daddy!" They take off running, launching themselves into Bellamy's open arms. Madi hugs him from behind, and he reaches out to help me join them on the ground.

As I watch Bellamy take a closer look at the twins, I look over to Madi. I know she's elated that Bellamy is home, but she looks slightly uncomfortable. I make a mental note to ask her about it later. For now, though, we're all just enjoying being together as a family.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you guys," he says, kissing each of them on their foreheads and beaming at Madi.

"I wanna show you my room Daddy!" Augustus shouts excitedly.

"Me too! I wanna show you my drawings!"

"And Mommy's drawings!"

"Yeah! And—"

"Alright, settle down you two. We should probably let Daddy get settled in before we ambush him."

"It's okay, Clarke. I want them to show me everything."

"Let's go!" Aurora shouts. Augustus takes off running, Madi at his heels, but Aurora looks up to Bellamy and asks, "Daddy? Will you carry me?"

"Of course, sweetie," he answers, and we follow Madi and Augustus back to the cabin.

The kids pull Bellamy into our cabin, but I hang back, letting them have some time with their dad. I decide to start preparing food for lunch, but almost as soon as the thought crosses my mind, I hear someone walking through the trees towards me.

"Hey, Clarke. Where are my nieces and nephew?" Raven asks, approaching me as quickly as her leg allows.

"Oh my god, Raven! Wait, you know? About the kids?"

"Yeah, Murphy and I heard your radio call yesterday. We told everyone but Bellamy, we thought that you should get to do that yourself."

Finally, I grow tired of waiting for Raven to make her way to me and I run to her, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Raven. Thank you for bringing him home to me and thank you for letting me be the one to tell him about the kids."

She pulls back, looking me in the eyes before saying, "No, Clarke, I should be thanking you. You saved us, you saved all of us."

Just then, the rest of our friends file through the trees carrying various supplies with them.

"And they call me the cockroach," Murphy jokes, wrapping me in a hug.

"Hey Murphy. It was getting pretty quiet without you around," I laugh.

"So, where are they?" Harper asks.

"Oh, they're just in—" I'm interrupted by the pitter patter of tiny feet running down the steps to our cabin. "Well, there they are."

"Auntie Mori!" Aurora shouts as she runs towards Emori. Emori smiles warmly and picks her up, looking far more comfortable than I thought she would around children.

Augustus makes a beeline for Monty, who greets him with a high five. Madi and Raven walk a few feet away from everyone else, deep in conversation. I knew that they'd be thick as thieves, I just didn't realize their conspiring would start so soon.

"Guys, where's Echo?" I inquire, noting the woman's absence from the group.

"She floated herself a year after Praimfaya," Harper whispers to me, clearly trying to keep the news from the children, which I appreciate. I nod, giving my friend an apologetic look. Obviously, we all have a lot of catching up to do. "So, who are these little angels?"

"Kids, why don't you introduce yourselves to everyone?"

"My name is Aurora, I'm four years old," she states proudly, holding up three fingers and then correcting herself, sticking a fourth finger up.

"I'm Augustus, I'm almost five."

"I'm almost five too!" Aurora shouts indignantly, not appreciative of Augustus's attempt to one-up her. "Mommy, mommy! Can we have a sleepover in the butterfly field tonight?"

That's another way in which Aurora takes after her Aunt Octavia—she's always chasing butterflies.

"I have a better idea," Raven says, smirking suggestively at Bellamy and me. "How about we have a sleepover, but just with your aunts and uncles? No parents allowed!" The kids squeal excitedly at the idea and look to me for approval.

"Do you promise to be good?" All three of the kids nod. "Okay, then, get a move on. Go have fun."

As they get carried away in conversation with their aunts and uncles, walking out of our little clearing and towards the butterfly field, I walk into the cabin in search of Bellamy. I find him sitting on my bed with his head in his hands. We might have been separated for over five years, but I know him. I can tell that something is wrong just by the way he's hunched over on himself, by the way he sighs, by the furrow of his brow.

"Bell?" I ask gently, not wanting to startle him. When he looks up, I notice the circles under his eyes and the troubled look within them. "Honey, what's wrong?"

He shrugs as I kneel in front of him. "I feel guilty, Clarke. I left you pregnant and alone. You had to raise our babies by yourself, and I missed so much of their lives. I don't know how to make it up to you. How can you forgive me for this?"

"There's nothing to forgive. Neither of us had any way of knowing that I was pregnant when you left. And you can't beat yourself up for leaving because if you hadn't left, they wouldn't have a father at all. You'd have died in Praimfaya," I say, shuddering at the thought. "We're a family, you, me, and the kids. Nothing, not even the past five years we spent apart, can change that. The only thing that matters now is that we're together, and I'm never going to let anything get in the way of that again."

I press a kiss to his lips, wiping away the sole tear running down his face with my thumb.

"Where are the kids now?"

"They took Raven and everyone else to the butterfly field for a 'sleepover,' one where no parents are allowed. I'm pretty sure Madi and Raven conspired to get us the place to ourselves tonight."

He shoots me one of his famous lopsided smirks and says, "Well, then who are we to deny such a gift?"

I laugh against his lips when he leans down to kiss me, taking me in his arms and lifting me onto his lap. I breathe in his scent. I'd almost forgotten it. I take my time touching every part of his body, memorizing him.

We kiss slowly at first, but it doesn't take long for our kisses to grow quicker, more urgent. Suddenly, he lifts me up and holds me up against the wall with my legs wrapped around him. I was so worried that I'd never get to feel his touch again, and now that I am, I know that I will never take it for granted again.

I tug at the hem of his shirt, prompting him to take it off. I unwrap my legs from around his waist, steadying myself on the floor before helping him take the rest of his clothes off.

As I undress myself, I feel him staring at me. I've never been a prude, not by a longshot, but suddenly I feel self-conscious. Bellamy hasn't seen me naked since the night I got pregnant. I lost any baby weight I'd gained fairly quickly after I had the twins, but my stretch marks are in full view.

Sensing my nerves, he steps closer to me and traces the stretch marks with his fingers, laying kisses on each and every one of them.

"Bellamy, you don't have to—" I start, but he shushes me.

"Princess, these marks are there because you carried my children, and you are all the more beautiful for it."

"God, Bell, I love you so much."

"I love you too, princess."

There's no distance left between us, I won't let there be. It's as if his body was sculpted specifically for mine to fall in place with it. We spend the evening making love and making up for lost time.

After we've exhausted each other, laying together completely breathless, he looks at me and sighs happily.

"Best Unity Day ever."

 **Read and review!**

 **xoxo Kitty**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry this chapter took a while, guys. College is crazy, but I promise I'm going to finish this story, so don't you worry about that.**

 **BELLAMY POV**

 **2 October 2155**

I wake to warm rays of sunlight beating down onto my face. Clarke's head is on my shirtless chest, my arm is wrapped around her, just as we were when we fell asleep last night. I kiss her temple lightly, not wanting to wake her up, and then I simply watch her sleep for a while.

The past day has been a whirlwind. I came home to this planet only to find out that not only is Clarke alive, she found a child and gave birth to two more. _I'm a father,_ I think, smiling. I never told her this, our relationship before didn't exactly pave the way for this conversation, but I've always wanted to be a father. Maybe it's because I practically raised Octavia, but I knew pretty early on that I wanted to have a kid one day.

Growing up on the Ark, though, I never imagined having more than one kid. I didn't want to subject any child of mine to growing up under the floor like Octavia had to. If the twins had been born on the Ark, well, they wouldn't have been born on the Ark. They would've forced us to terminate one of the embryos. We would've had Augustus _or_ Aurora, not Augustus _and_ Aurora. We certainly wouldn't have Madi. But here, on the ground, the old population laws don't matter.

I have three kids, and none of them have to hide in fear of being discovered. I still can hardly believe it. I glance at the woman I love, silently thanking her again. I'm thankful that the twins were born on the ground so both of them could live. I've only been home for a day, I've only been a father for a day, yet I can no longer imagine my life without any of my three children. Clarke stirs next to me, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Good morning princess," I whisper, kissing her on the forehead. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have since we got to the ground six years ago. You make a really good pillow, Blake."

"Glad to know you're only using me for my usefulness as a pillow, Griffin," I chuckle, tilting her chin upwards so I can give her a _good morning_ kiss."I love you, you know that princess?"

"You only told me a thousand times last night," she feigns annoyance, but then gets serious again. "I love you too, Bellamy. I love you so much."

"Should we go get the kids and bring them home for breakfast?"

"Actually, I have a better idea," she says suggestively. "They're with the others, they're safe, and there are plenty of berries in that field for breakfast. Who knows, they might not be back for hours."

"What exactly are you suggesting, Miss Griffin?"

"I think you already know, Mr. Blake," she says my name mockingly as she leans in to kiss me.

We spend a long time reacquainting ourselves with each other, both of us trying to relearn what makes the other tick. We take it slow, no longer feeling the ticking clock of the apocalypse racing against us.

"God, I wish I could wake up to this every morning," Clarke sighs happily.

"Who's to say you can't? Clarke, I just spent five and a half years without you in my life. Now that we're together again, nothing can keep me away from you for more than a few minutes, not even sleep."

"I love you so much, Bell."

"I love you too, princess," I tell her. She snuggles closer to me and we lay contentedly for a few more minutes before the kids come running into the cabin.

"Mommy, daddy!" They yell, racing to jump onto the bed.

"Hey, kiddos, how was your sleepover?" I ask.

"It was so fun! Uncle Murphy is so funny!" Augustus says, laughing.

"Aunt Raven and Aunt Emori and Auntie Harper let me braid their hair!" Madi says. "Dad—I mean, Bellamy, can I braid your hair? Your hair is long too."

"Sure, sweetheart. And it's okay, you know, you can call me Dad. I'm your dad too, at least, if you want me to be."

I see tears reach her eyes as she nods and says, "I'd like that a lot…. Dad."

I smile sweetly at her, trying to reassure her, and I pull her in for a hug. I know that Madi isn't biologically Clarke's daughter, but I see so many similarities between the two. She's only 11, but she holds herself with the same confidence Clarke does. It's clear Clarke raised her, and she did a damn good job of it.

"Augustus, Aurora, why don't we leave Mommy and Daddy alone for a little bit? We can go get breakfast ready for everyone," Madi suggests.

"It's okay, Madi, we can come help you," I say, but Madi disagrees.

"No, we can do it. My siblings, my responsibility. Let's go guys," she says, taking the twins outside to prepare breakfast.

I know that Madi isn't biologically my daughter, either, yet when I hear her say, "My siblings, my responsibility," it's like looking through a window to the past. This little girl isn't just Clarke's, she's mine. She is a Blake. I find myself thinking about how nice it would be if Clarke was a Blake too, but she interrupts my thoughts.

"What's going on in there, Bellamy?"

"I was just thinking about how amazing you are. You did such a good job with the kids, Clarke. I don't know how to thank you."

"What's there to thank me for, Bell?"

"You raised our babies all by yourself. You let them know about me, about all of us. You told them how much I loved them, even when I didn't know about them. I didn't even tell you I loved you before I left, but it's like you already knew."

"You didn't have to tell me, Bellamy, you showed me. You showed me every day. You showed me through the way you spoke to me, the way you trusted me, the way you protected me. I'm sorry I didn't realize it soon enough. I should've told you sooner, while I had the chance," she sighs sadly, trying to avoid my eyes as her own fill with tears.

"Hey, hey," I say, pulling her chin up so she's looking into my eyes again. "You don't have to apologize to me. Even though you didn't say it, I had hope that you loved me, too. And now, you've given me the most precious gift anyone could possibly give."

"What's that?" she asks, confused.

"Your love. You're special, Clarke, I've always known that. I feel incredibly lucky that you've chosen to love me. Not only do you love me, but you carried my children, you cared for them and raised them for five years even when I couldn't be here to help you. But I'm home now, and we get to raise our babies together. I can't even begin to tell you what that means to me, you allowing me to be a part of their lives."

"Oh, Bell, of course you're going to be a part of their lives. You're their father, they need you. I need you. I have always needed you. I love you so much. I missed out on saying that for six years, but now you're home and I'm never going to stop reminding you."

"I think I could get used to that," I say, kissing softly. "Let's go join everyone for breakfast, yeah?"

She nods and stands, opting to put on my shirt instead of her own. I move behind her, putting my arms around her waist and pulling her close to me. I lean down so my mouth is next to her ears and I whisper, "That look is really working for you, princess."

"Oh yeah?" She teases.

"Oh yeah. It's working for me, too."

I spin her to face me and I see the rosy tint of her blush rushing to her cheeks. I kiss her again, deeper and more urgently than last time.

"Consider that a preview of what's in store for you later," I wink at her, taking her hand and leading her out of the cabin.

" _Ouder! Emo komba raun,_ " Augustus says, hushing everyone else.

"Good morning, lovebirds!" Raven shouts at us.

" _Ai don tel yu op,_ " Madi says, shooting Raven a knowing look.

" _Hod yu rein daun,_ Madi," Clarke scolds. " _Gouva yu kiln._ "

"It's nothing, Mom. We were just talking about how long you and Dad were going to spend K-I-S-S-I-N-G in there," she giggles.

"Wow, Madi, are you sure you're not a Blake?" Murphy jests. "Your dad is the only other person I've ever seen your mom make that face at," he says, referring to the look of sheer annoyance plastered on Clarke's face.

"Oh, she's definitely a Blake," I say, walking over to ruffle up Madi's hair. She smiles up at me and stands to give me a hug.

"Thanks Dad," she whispers.

"You got it, kiddo. Now, what do you guys say we find a way to dig everyone out of the bunker? Raven, any ideas?"

"Actually, yes. Now that we have the laser com from the Eligius ship, we can try to make contact with the bunker again. After we get a better idea of what's going on down there, we can make a plan to dig them out."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go."

"Can we come too, Daddy? Please?" Aurora asks, looking up at me with her big, brown, puppy dog eyes. I knew the moment I laid eyes on my daughter that I was a goner. I haven't even known her for 24 hours and already, she has me wrapped around her finger.

"Sure, baby. As long as your mom is okay with it…?" I trail off, leaving Clarke the space to answer the question.

"How about we make it a little family road trip?"

"Road trip?" I ask, not fully understanding what she's suggesting.

"Look behind you, Bell, through the trees."

I turn around to see— "Oh my god. My rover?"

"It took me a while to get it up and running again, but it's served me well the past few years. I figure it's time to return it to its rightful owner," she sidles up to me, nuzzling her face into my neck.

"Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Only a million times today," she laughs, adding to her estimate of a thousand _I love you's_ from last night, leaning up to kiss me.

"Let's go!" Madi yells. The 4'11" eleven-year-old moves like a force of nature, barreling into the driver's seat.

"Wait, wait, wait," Murphy says. "You can drive? Do your feet reach the pedals? Can you even see over the steering wheel? How do you—"

"I've been driving for almost a year now, Uncle Murphy. I'm a good driver, right Mom?"

"Right, honey. But I think Dad's missed his rover, why don't we let him drive this time?"

"Okay," she sighs, sliding out of the car. "I'll walk with everyone else, then. Last one there does the dishes for a week!" And with that, she takes off running toward the ship, Murphy following closely behind her.

"Wait, what?" Monty asks.

"Hurry up, babe, or you're going to be stuck on dish duty!" Harper shouts back to him, already chasing after Madi with Emori by her side.

I just laugh to myself as I lift the twins into the backseat of the rover.

"Mind if I hitch a ride?" Raven asks.

"Yeah, sit next to me Aunt Raven!" Aurora shouts.

"No, I want to sit next to Aunt Raven!" Augustus rebuts.

"Hey, now, no fighting over little old me. I'll sit in the middle. Sound good to you two?" She asks, and they nod begrudgingly, each of them pouting with their arms crossed over their little chests. "Alright, let's go Blake family. We have some friends to rescue."

Clarke's blush caused by the words 'Blake family' does not go unnoticed by me. For the second time today, I think about sharing my last name with her. _Clarke Blake._ It has a nice ring to it. I reach over to grab her hand with my unoccupied one, rubbing my thumb along the back of her hand. We share a smile before I turn my attention back to the forest in front of me.

I can't help but remember the last time I was in this Rover, when Clarke and I were racing to Becca's lab to bring Raven back to the bunker before Praimfaya hit. If the damn thing hadn't broken down, everything would be different now.

Soon, we make it to the Eligius ship. I help the twins out of the rover and then extend my arm to Raven, offering her my help in case she needs it. However, she simply looks at me and says, "Fatherhood is already making you soft, Blake," before lowering herself out of the rover on her own.

She leads the way inside, the twins running in front of her, eager to explore the ship. Clarke and I follow just behind them, our hands intertwined as we walk through the maze of hallways. Once inside the control center, Raven turns on the communications system and sends out a test message.

"This is Raven Reyes calling from the ground, does anyone read me? Again, this is Raven Reyes calling from the ground. Do you read me?" We sit with bated breath, waiting to hear something, anything. Just as I'm about to tell her to try again, static comes through the radio, followed by a faint voice.

"Raven? Is it really you?"

"Yes, this is Raven Reyes. Who am I speaking with?" She asks. We can barely make out the voice, let alone decipher who the voice belongs to.

"Raven, it's Abby. Is everyone with you? Are you all okay? Is Clarke—"

"Mom," Clarke says, taking the radio from Raven and letting out a sob.

"Oh, Clarke, honey, it's so good to hear your voice."

"You have no idea, Mom. Everyone's here, we're okay. Me, Bellamy, Raven, Emori, Murphy, Harper, and Monty. All of us. What about you guys? Is Octavia okay?" My heart warms hearing Clarke ask about my sister for me. I'm too shocked to speak.

"Octavia is fine, we're all fine. We just can't get out because—"

"Because Polis collapsed over top of you. I know, Mom, I've seen it. Don't worry, I'm sure Raven has a plan. We're going to get you out of there. Right Raven?"

"Right. Abby, I think I can construct a bomb that will blow the debris off of the bunker door without blowing the door itself open. That way the debris won't fall in on you guys, and we can just open the doors to let you out."

"That's brilliant, Raven," Abby says. "How long do you need?"

"Probably a day, maybe two? If I can just—"

"No, we have to go now, tonight," I interject. "My sister has lived enough of her life underground. I can't leave her down there any longer."

"Bellamy, I need some time to make the bomb, and we have to transport it to Polis safely."

"Raven's right, Bell," Clarke says soothingly, rubbing my back lightly. "Raven can you have it ready by first light?" The brunette considers it for a moment before nodding.

"It'll be cutting it close, but you know I've never been one to back down from a challenge."

"Great, we'll leave at dawn. Mom, can you make sure everyone is a safe distance from the doors tonight? Have everyone move to the furthest bunks possible. We'll figure things out from there," Clarke says confidently, easily slipping back into her role as leader.

"Yes, I can do that. And Clarke?" Abby asks.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Mom," she says, getting choked up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

We all stay in the Eligius ship overnight, almost everyone finding a place to sleep. After the kids were tucked in and Clarke fell asleep, I made my way back to the control room, too anxious to sleep.

"How's the bomb coming Raven?"

"It's fine, Bellamy. I'm making good time, don't worry. Go back to sleep," she instructs.

"I can't, too anxious. I'm struggling to be patient right now, I just want to see my baby sister."

"I know you do. At least you know she's okay, though. Now it's just a matter of hours before you get to see her."

"Yeah, you're right," I sigh.

"Haven't you heard? I'm always right," she says smugly.

"Very funny, Reyes. What's the game plan for tomorrow?"

"Well, we're going to load the bomb into the back of the rover. The odds of it detonating prematurely are practically nonexistent, so you and Clarke can both drive it to Polis. There'll also be room for me in the rover, obviously. The others can stay in the valley with the kids. I figured you and Clarke should introduce Abby and Octavia to the kids on your own terms. Is that okay with you?"

"That sounds great, Raven. Thank you for thinking of that."

"It was nothing. I mean, as soon as I heard Clarke on the radio—" she stops short.

"As soon as you what, Raven?"

"Okay, hear me out before you get mad. When we first made it to the Eligius ship and everyone split up, Murphy and I found the control center. We heard Clarke on the radio, and she brought up the kids. I knew right then that we had to get home. I called the others to the control center and told them Clarke was alive, told them about the kids, told them why we were finally going home. I mean, we couldn't get home from the Ring because we didn't have the fuel we needed, so obviously the Eligius ship had the fuel we needed and that's the logistical reason we were going home. But, more importantly, we had just learned that you had a family waiting for you on the ground. After everything you and Clarke sacrificed, don't you think she deserved to tell you about the kids herself?"

I sit in silence for a while, trying to come to terms with Raven's revelation. In lieu of a verbal response, I move across the room and embrace her.

"Wow, you really have gone soft, Blake," she chuckles.

"Shut up, Raven. And by 'shut up,' I mean thank you. I'm glad you let Clarke be the one to tell me. You're right, she did deserve to be the one to tell me."

"I told you I'm always right."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. You're sure you don't need any help?"

"Positive. Go back to your girl, get some rest."

"Will do. Thanks again, Raven. Seriously."

"You're welcome. Now get out," she says, only half-jokingly.

I make my way back to the room Clarke and I claimed with the kids and curl myself around her sleeping form, drifting off to sleep much easier now that Raven has helped to put my mind at ease. My last thought before I lose consciousness is, _I'm coming, Octavia. We'll be together soon._

 **Read and review!**

 **xoxo Kitty**

 **Trigedasleng Translations (Line by line)**

 ** _There! They're coming._**

 ** _I told you._**

 ** _Mind your place. Explain._**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'M SO SORRY I'M THE WORST. I promise I never intended for this update to take so long, but then mental health got in the way, and then school got in the way, and life just kept getting in the way. But it's here now! And I promise I'm not going to just give up on this story because I personally hate when people do that. I won't leave you guys stranded. We're going to see this through. Together. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

 **BELLAMY POV**

 **3 October 2155**

"Don't go!" Aurora cries. As soon as Clarke and I told her we were leaving for the day to go get her grandma and Aunt Octavia, she launched into full meltdown mode.

"Hey, little princess, look at me," I coo gently to her, raising her chin so she's looking me in the eyes. "Mommy and I are only going to be gone for a few hours, okay? We'll be home in time to tuck you into bed. Don't you want to meet Grandma Abby and Aunt Octavia?"

She sniffles a bit and nods her head slowly. I use the thumb of my hand that's already on her face to wipe away her tears. I give her a hug and kiss her on the forehead before saying, "Be good for your aunts and uncles, okay? I love you."

I'm halfway out the door when I hear her little voice call, "Daddy?" I turn around to face her. "You promise you'll come back?"

"Yes, _strikon_ , I promise." She seems to accept the answer and she settle back into bed, so I take my leave, shutting the door softly behind me.

"You ready to go Bell?" Clarke asks, walking up behind me. I manage a nod, but my conversation with Aurora has left me feeling guilty and Clarke sees right through me. "What's wrong?"

"I just feel bad that we can't bring them along. I've only been back for two days; I think she's scared of me leaving again. She made me promise to come back. What kind of a father am I if my kids are afraid I'm going to just up and leave them?"

"Hey, you know that's not fair. You had no control over what happened after Praimfaya. You had no idea that I was pregnant. Yes, you've only been back for two days, but you're already an incredible father. It's easy to see how much they love you. You also have to remember that they've only known me and each other their whole lives. Of course they're scared, Bell, they're four and their mom is leaving them for the first time ever. But they're going to be fine, we'll be home tonight with their grandma and Aunt Octavia and they'll forget we were ever gone. Our family is finally going to be whole. Now let's get going, the sooner we leave the sooner we'll reach Octavia, and the sooner we'll be back home with our babies."

"Okay, princess," I sigh, before taking her by the hand and leading her to the rover.

I open the passenger side door for her before getting in the driver's seat. The ride to Polis is relatively quiet. Clarke sits, watching me with a small smile on her face. She knows how much I missed this car, but what she doesn't realize is that I missed her so much more. What makes the drive even better is that I'm sitting hand in hand with the woman I love.

The drive seems endless, but we finally reach the bunker. Without Clarke to lead the way, I might not have recognized it. The tower that once loomed over Polis now lays in pieces on the ground, covering the entrance to the bunker.

"I tried digging them out for a while," Clarke says solemnly. "I never got very far before more rubble caved in on me. Then I found Madi and found out about the twins and I couldn't keep digging after that."

"Oh, Clarke," I whisper. "I'm so sorry you had to do this by yourself."

"We talked about this, Bellamy, you don't have anything to apologize for. Stop beating yourself up about what happened while we were apart. It's in the past, we can't change it. You're here now, and I want to focus on moving forward with you by my side. Okay?"

I manage a nod, knowing full well that if I try to speak, I won't be able to push past the lump in my throat. Raven, who has just finished placing the bomb in the spot that we'll detonate it from, walks back over to us and asks, "Are you guys ready for this?"

"Yeah, let's do this," Clarke says. We get back in the rover and back away from the bomb. When we've reached a safe distance, Raven counts down from three before detonating the bomb. Clarke squeezes my hand, sensing my anxiety. When the dust settles, we drive forward again.

We gather the supplies we brought to use as a pulley system and set it up, using the rover as a tether. Once we've secured the pulley, I rappel myself down into the bunker to assure that the rigging is safe before letting Clarke come down to meet me. Once we're together, the dust has cleared enough to reveal the small group of people who have gathered in the nearest doorway.

"Mom?" Clarke gasps, immediately running into her mother's embrace. I search the room for Octavia but by the time I see her, she's already launched herself into my arms.

"It's really you," she says. "I missed you, big brother."

"I missed you too, O. I love you so much."

"Wow, Bell, it only took you five years to say it back," she jokes. "I love you, too."

"Let me look at you," I say, pushing her away so I can take a clear look at her.

My breath catches in my throat as I take in everything that has changed about her. Her hair is shorter, her eyes have darkened. She looks so much older than she did five years ago, more jaded. But the most striking difference is the red war paint covering her forehead. I reach my hand up to touch it, but the moment is interrupted by Indra who walks out of the dark to stand by Octavia's side.

"The people are getting restless, Octavia. They want to see the sun," she says curtly.

"Good to see you too, Indra." She simply nods in response.

"Indra gather everyone like we planned: children go first with at least one of their parents. Then Niylah will accompany the orphans and Ethan. Everyone else will follow afterwards. Understood?"

"Yes, Blodreina."

"Wait, Indra," I say, forcing myself to stay focused on the matter at hand and not my sister's new title. "We should bring a few of the strongest men up before the rest, to help us bring people out of the bunker. Abby too, in case there are any injuries. But Octavia goes first."

"Bell, I can't—"

"You're 22 years old now, O, and you've lived 21 of those years underground. You deserve to be the first person on the ground again, like you were all those years ago. I won't take no for an answer."

"Listen to your brother, Octavia. You've worked hard to keep everyone alive for five years. It's time for you to let yourself live." Octavia's eyes shine with unshed tears and she nods to Indra.

"Okay. Take me to the ground, big brother." I smile and take her hand, leading her to the pulley system we set up. I pull myself up first and then send the harness down for my little sister. When I hear Kane tell me that she's secured in the harness, I carefully raise her out of the bunker and up to the ground above.

I watch as Octavia takes in the view of Polis for the first time since Praimfaya. Her eyes immediately brighten, her smile reaches her eyes. She looks to Raven and me and says, "We're back, bitches!" Then she runs into my arms again and hugs me tightly. This hug lasts longer than the last and we simply enjoy being together again.

Slowly but surely, the people of the bunker—or as they call themselves, Wonkru— make their way out of the bunker. I'm standing beside Clarke watching as everyone walks into the sun, eyes slowly adjusting to the sunlight after five years underground.

When Niylah reaches the ground, she runs to my sister and kisses her chastely. Turning to me, she says, "It's good to see you, Bellamy. I hope you're well."

"I am, thank you. And from the looks of it, you are as well," I say, gesturing to Octavia, who is blushing for what must be the first time since our first few weeks on the ground. "I'm happy for you, O. Both of you."

Just then, a boy who looks to be about Madi's age rushes towards the women standing beside me.

"Mom! Momma!" he cries, launching himself into my sister's arms. I take a step back to make space for him as the weight of his words hits me— _mom?_ Octavia catches my glance, silently saying _We'll talk about this later._

"Ethan," Niylah says, "Why don't we go help with the other children? Let your mom and uncle catch up." He follows obediently behind Niylah and I turn to my sister.

"Okay, O. Spill."

"You know Ethan, Bell, he and his dad lived in Arkadia. When it came time to let people into the bunker, Kane and I made sure all of the children had a spot. Ethan's dad put him in Jaha's care, but Jaha died about a month after Praimfaya hit and he told me to take care of Ethan. It was his dying wish. Niylah and I have raised him together ever since."

"And how did you and Niylah end up together?" I ask, genuinely curious. I never picked up on anything between them before.

"Yeah, I know I didn't tell you that I'm into girls, but I didn't know how to. And honestly, we didn't exactly have time before Praimfaya hit."

"It's okay, O. I'm not judging you. You're my little sister and I love you no matter what." She visibly relaxes at my words.

"When we were finally settled in the bunker and things were running smoothly, Niylah came to my room that first night to tell me how things were going with the orphaned children and we got to talking. I hate to admit it, but I kind of fell apart. It's like Indra told me, 'A warrior doesn't mourn the dead until the battle is over.' I never got the chance to mourn Lincoln, but Niylah was there for me. She let me mourn, grieve, fall apart, and at the end of the day she helped me pick up the pieces. We found solace in one another. We've been together ever since. I love her, Bell."

"I can tell. I'm happy for you, O, I really am. You deserve love and happiness."

"Thank you for understanding, Bell. Speaking of love, though, how are things with you and the princess?"

"How did you know? How could you tell?"

"I know you, big brother. I see the way you look at her. You used to only look at me with that kind of softness, it was a look you reserved specifically for me. You love her."

"I do. I really, really do," I sigh, happily. I hear Clarke calling my name and I turn back to Octavia, "We still have a lot to catch up on, O, but right now—"

"Go to her. I have to go check on Niylah and Ethan. We'll catch up later." I nod and see her embrace Niylah and their son before I return to Clarke. "What's going on, princess?"

"First things first, is that Niylah with Octavia? And who's the kid?"

"Yeah, apparently they've been together since Praimfaya. 'The kid' is Ethan. Long story short, his father didn't make it into the bunker. Jaha was supposed to take care of him, but when he died, his dying wish was for Octavia to take care of him. So I guess I'm an uncle now, too."

"Wow. That's just… wow."

"Speechless, huh princess? This doesn't happen often."

"It's just a lot, that's all."

"Yeah, imagine being told you're a father of three."

"Touché, Blake. Now, we need to talk about how we're getting people to the Valley. I know we were going to drive back with my mom and Octavia, but now with Niylah and Ethan I'm not sure if Octavia will still go for that. I still really think we need to introduce them to the kids before things get even more crazy. Will you talk to her?"

"Yeah, give me a few minutes," I say, kissing her forehead before walking back over to my sister. "Hey, O?"

"Hey, Bellamy, I want you to officially meet Ethan. Ethan, this is your Uncle Bellamy."

"Hey buddy, it's good to meet you. Mind if I borrow your mom for a minute?" He shrugs, standing just behind Niylah. "Thanks. I promise I'll bring her back, okay?"

"What's going on Bell?"

"Okay, Clarke and I have something we need to show you before we bring everyone else to the Valley. We'd planned to drive back with you, Abby, and Raven, but obviously we didn't know about Niylah and Ethan. I wouldn't ask you to leave them if it wasn't important. Please, O."

She looks to Niylah who, in spite of being a few feet away, has been listening in on our conversation. Niylah smiles and nods gently.

"We'll be fine, _ai niron_ ," she says. "You should go with Bellamy."

"I'll be back for you two as soon as I can, okay? I promise," Octavia assures her. Turning to Ethan she says, " _Ai hod yu in, ai goufa._ " She plants a kiss on the boy's forehead and does the same to Niylah's lips before walking towards the rover with me.

There, Abby, Raven, and Clarke stand waiting for us. Clarke tosses me the keys to the rover and slides into the passenger seat as I help Raven get up into the backseat. Once everyone is settled in, we begin our drive back to the valley.

"I talked to Indra," Clarke starts. "I told her that we needed to go back to the valley to get some things in order before we brought everyone back with us. The valley is fairly large, and I happen to know that there are plenty of houses scattered around to house the majority of Wonkru. We'll still need to work on constructing others to accommodate everyone more comfortably, but we'll be okay until we can get that done. It'll be easier now that it's not just me. And Octavia, I know of the perfect cabin for you, Niylah, and Ethan. I can't wait to show you."

"Wait, back up Clarke," Abby interjects. "What do you mean, now that it's not just you?"

"Well, mom…" Clarke trails off. I squeeze her hand, which rests nestled within mine on top of her thigh, silently offering her my support. "I didn't make it to the Ring. Something went wrong, I went to fix it and I didn't make it back to the rocket in time to leave."

"What do you mean—?" Abby starts, but Clarke interrupts her.

"No, Mom, please. I need you to let me finish, okay? This is hard for me to relive." She waits a beat to continue, ensuring that Abby will remain silent. "I had to climb to the top of the satellite tower to adjust something that would restore power to the Ark. If I hadn't done that, all of my friends would have died. I made it back to Becca's lab and passed out. When I woke up, my skin had already started to heal from the burns left by Praimfaya. When I ran out of water and rations, I left the lab and just did my best to survive.

"I tried digging you guys out of the bunker for a while, but every time I made any progress, more of the tower came tumbling down and erased all of the progress I'd made. I almost gave up a few times, but then I found this bird and it led me to a valley. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. There were trees, birds, flowers, fish, a river, berries, and it rained. Things were alive in the valley. That's where I found Madi, my daughter.

"Madi is a _natblida_ like me. She was five when I found her, and she just turned eleven this July. She's an incredible little girl. She took a while to warm up to me, but she's one of the main reasons I've kept going for the past five years."

She stops then, and glances nervously at me. I give her a small nod and smile at her, trying to encourage her. Octavia shifts uncomfortably in the backseat while Abby's curiosity gets the best of her.

"So the Nighblood solution worked? And obviously everyone else made it to and from the Ring alright. But you were alone down here for five and a half years? Well, not alone, you had Madi. I'm a grandmother? I can't believe—"

"Abby, there's more," I interrupt before she can get any more carried away. "Clarke, do you want to tell them or should I?"

"I can do it. Mom, Octavia, I know you both know that Bellamy and I are together now. But we were… together right before Praimfaya, too. About two months after it hit, I discovered that I was pregnant. I had twins. They're absolutely perfect. They're four years old, their birthday is December 1st. They're healthy, happy, and they know all about you both. I've shown them drawings of you since they were very young, and they've heard all the stories I had to tell. Madi's personal favorite story is about Skairipa. She thinks her Aunt Octavia is the coolest person ever, she can't wait to meet you."

"I'm an aunt?" Octavia asks, overcome with a sense of disbelief.

"Yes, you are. The first aunt in over a century. The aunt to the first Skaikru children born on the ground in over a century." Clarke is beaming, and suddenly I'm sure she's been waiting to say these words to Octavia since she found out she was pregnant.

"Their names?" Abby mumbles, not quite forming a question or speaking loud enough to indicate that she wished to be heard. If Clarke hadn't been waiting for her mother's response, we might've missed Abby's words.

"Oh, their names, of course. Bell, do you want to tell them?"

"Are you sure?" I ask, not wanting to take away from this moment for her. She nods, still beaming at me, and I continue. "Well, our youngest daughter's name is Aurora Abigail, and our son's name is Augustus Lincoln."

"Oh my god," Octavia barely manages the words before choking out a sob. "Stop the car, Bell."

"What's wrong, O?" I ask, concerned by the sudden outburst of emotion from my little sister.

"Just stop the car. Please?" I do as she asked, and before the car has even made it to a full stop, Octavia has launched herself out of the backseat and run up to the passenger side door. She opens Clarke's door and throws her arms around her.

"Thank you, Clarke. Thank you, thank you, thank you," she whispers into her shoulder.

"Oh, O, there's nothing to thank me for."

"Thank you for naming them after our mom, and after Lincoln. Thank you for thinking of him. Thank you for telling them about me. Thank you for making me an auntie. Thank you, Clarke."

"Of course, Octavia. How could I not tell them about their awesome aunt? I'm so happy that you're happy. They truly can't wait to meet you. Think you could get back in the rover so we could make that happen?"

"Right, sorry," she says, getting back into the car. "Do you think..."

"Yeah, O?" I ask.

"Could I maybe wash my face before I meet them? I don't want to meet them looking like this. This isn't me anymore."

"Yeah, of course," Clarke says. "I've actually got water in the trunk; you can use it to wash your face off now since we're already stopped."

"Thanks Clarke," she says before getting out of the car again, this time going to the trunk to wash the war paint off of her face.

"Mom? You've been awfully quiet back there. Please say something."

"I don't know what to say. You gave birth to twins by yourself? You raised three children for five years by yourself? I'm a grandma… I have three grandbabies."

"Are you upset?"

"Oh, honey, no. Well, not at you. I'm only upset that I couldn't be there for you and that you had to go through this alone. But how could I be unhappy that you two have made me a grandma? I am so proud of you, Clarke."

"Oh, mom…" I look over to her only to see tears streaming down her face. As I raise my hand to her face to wipe her tears away, Octavia hops back into the car. Her face shows no trace of dirt, blood, or war paint. She looks lighter, happier, unburdened. She looks like my baby sister again, like the girl she was when we first landed on this planet six years ago.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Abby and I have little ones to meet!" Octavia exclaims, and Abby laughs, spurring on everyone else's laughter. The mood in the car is lighter as we ride the rest of the way to the valley swapping stories of the last five years.

 **Read and review!**

 **xoxo Kitty**

 **Trigedasleng Translations (Line by line.)**

 _ **Little one**_

 _ **My love**_

 _ **I love you, my child**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**I'm back! Sorry for such a long hiatus, life got in the way. I told you I wouldn't give up on this story though! I hope you like this part.**_

 **Chapter 19**

 **3 October 2155**

 **Octavia POV**

"Okay, we're here," Clarke announces from the passenger seat and I feel my heartbeat quicken immensely. "Are you guys ready for this?"

I swallow and nod, suddenly feeling more nervous than excited. Sensing my nerves, Bellamy turns around and gives me a reassuring smile.

"They're going to love you, O, trust me."

"He's right, Octavia. You have no clue how excited they are to meet you," Clarke assures me. I force a smile, preparing myself to get out of the car and meet my nieces and nephew.

As I step into the sunlight again, I take a moment to breathe in the fresh air. Bellamy was right—I've lived most of my life underground in some way or another. I vow to myself to never take fresh air or sunlight for granted again.

"Mom, Octavia, over here," Clarke calls to us, pointing towards a small clearing. The clearing holds a number of cabins, the former homes of Louwoda Kliron Kru. Clarke's clearly done a lot of work here over the past few years, clearing out the houses, restoring them, making this place a home for her and her children.

Clarke walks into the clearing ahead of us, and I hear the kids all yell, "Mom!"

As she greets the children, Bellamy walks up next to me and puts his arm around my shoulders. "Are you ready to meet the kids, O?"

"I don't know, Bell," I sigh. "There's so much that you don't know about the past few years. Things I've had to do to keep Wonkru alive. I wasn't the same person Clarke told them stories about. I'm still not. I've changed. I don't deserve to know them."

"Octavia don't say that. I know you've changed. I'm your big brother, don't you think I've noticed? But it doesn't matter. These kids deserve to know their Aunt Octavia and you deserve to know them. They're your family and they'll love you no matter what, just like I do."

Even after all these years, he still has the innate capability to calm me down with his words.

"Okay," I relent. "Let's do this."

He releases me from his grasp and leads me into the clearing, where I see them for the first time. The children are sitting around an unlit firepit with Clarke. Their resemblance to my brother is uncanny, it's clear these children are Blakes. Even Madi, who I know isn't biologically related to us, looks somewhat like her adoptive parents.

Clarke points their attention towards Bellamy, Abby, and I and all of a sudden, the air is filled with cries of, "Grandma! Auntie Octavia!" from all three of the children. They come running towards us, embracing us in their tiny arms.

I feel my world shift when my nieces and nephew embrace me. The troubles of the past begin to melt away as I hold them in my arms. I crouch down to the twins' level and I say, "Hello, little ones. It's so good to meet you."

"Aunt Octavia we're so happy you're here! We waited so long to meet you!" Madi chatters excitedly. I smile warmly at her in response.

Clarke comes by and takes Augustus into her arms. "I missed you, my loves," she coos. They're all clearly elated to have their mother back. It hits me then that they've probably never been apart from her, so it must've been a hard day for them. I begin to miss my own little family as I watch Clarke and Bellamy interact with their children.

"Do you want to know something special?" Clarke asks them.

"Yes, mommy!" they shout.

"You have another auntie. Her name is Niylah. And you have a cousin named Ethan, he's about Madi's age. Isn't that exciting?" My heart warms hearing Clarke refer to my Niylah as her children's aunt. It only reaffirms the sense of family I've already begun to feel with the kids, and the feeling of family I shared with Clarke so long ago.

"Yay!" Aurora cries, running over to Bellamy and jumping into his arms.

"Cool!" Augustus continues, wriggling in his mother's arms to get more comfortable.

"Okay, kiddos," Bellamy starts. "It's getting late, so why don't you show your Auntie O where she, Aunt Niylah, and Ethan are going to be staying?"

Aurora jumps out of his arms, racing to take my hand and lead the way to the cabin I'll be sharing with my family. Augustus and Madi follow closely behind us.

"It's right next door to our cabin, so you'll always be close to us," Madi says, ushering me inside.

I'm touched, glancing around the cabin Clarke and the children helped prepare for us. There are drawings hung on the wall, some of Bellamy and I, a few of Lincoln and I. Clarke put a lot of effort into making this a home for me, and I can't wait to show Niylah and Ethan.

The kids quickly give me a tour of the small cabin before racing back outside for dinner. Instead of following them, I find myself sitting on my bed, lost in thought.

So much has changed over the past five and a half years. I became a leader. I fell in love. I became a mother, something I could only dream of growing up on the Ark. Not all of the changes were positive, though. I was forced to resort to cannibalism in that bunker to keep my people alive. That was the hardest decision I've ever had to make. I can only hope my people will forgive me.

Bellamy walks in, interrupting my thoughts.

"What's on your mind?" he asks, knowing me well enough to know something is wrong.

"I have to tell you something, Bell. It's about the bunker, and it's not good. I'm not scared of a lot but telling you this is something I've been scared to do for years."

"O, I already told you, nothing is going to change the fact that you're my little sister and I love you no matter what."

I take a deep breath and begin to tell him the story of how things were in the bunker for the past five and a half years. I can't bring myself to make eye contact with him until I'm done, and when I finally do make eye contact, sadness is the only thing I see in his eyes.

"Octavia, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. All of you. It's horrible, but you're not to blame. Not solely, at least. You did what you had to do to keep your people alive. I know you never saw yourself as a leader, but you've truly become one. I'm proud of you for making such hard decisions and bearing them so nobly. You might feel like a monster, Octavia, but you're not."

I have no words, only tears. I weep and fall into Bellamy's open arms, letting him hold me as I fall apart on his shoulder. I've missed this feeling of safety and unconditional support. Bellamy's forgiveness and approval has always meant the world to me, whether I've shown it or not. As long as I have him by my side, I know I can face anything. Between him and Niylah, I have everything I need.

"Thanks, Bell. It means a lot to me, really. I never thought you'd forgive me for this."

"Of course, Octavia. You mean the world to me, there's almost nothing you could do that would be unforgiveable to me. I love you."

"I love you too, big brother."

"Now get some rest, O, it's late. We're bringing the rest of Wonkru back to the valley tomorrow, and you need your rest. We have a lot to figure out."

With the thought of seeing Niylah and Ethan again on my mind, I fall into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


End file.
